


An Error In Your Code| Connor

by Bissle141



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adorable Connor, Altered canon, Android Human Pairing, Artificial Limbs, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Character Death, Child Neglect, Connor Deserves Happiness, Corrupt Corporations, Dark, Dreams vs. Reality, Elijah Kamski Being Elijah Kamski, F/M, Family Feels, Good Elijah Kamski?, Good Parent Hank Anderson, Guns, Hank For Police Chief, Hardships, Loss of Limbs, Loss of Parent(s), Love, Minor Character Death, Morality, My First Fanfic, Original Character(s), Past Character Death, Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Police, Pre-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Prosthetic hand, Prosthetic legs, Prosthetics, Protective Connor, Regret, Romance, Sad, Shooting Guns, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Suicide, Trauma, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24000922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bissle141/pseuds/Bissle141
Summary: Imogene Knott is a detective at the Detroit Police Department, and with everything in her past she’s  simply trying to live out her life and protect those she cares about. Namely the android who raised her, Mia. But with the growing android revolution and the appearance of a certain android sent by CyberLife, things grow more complicated.Will Gene be able to protect her loved ones, or will she fall in line with those who would see androids deconstructed and destroyed? And what of this peculiar android Detective that somehow manages to make her heart race?"All we can do is our best.""...Was it all just a glitch, an error in your code?"Side note:I'm going to be doing some editing on the first few chapters. I went back and read them and I cannot unsee all the mistakes I made. So yeah, that’s gonna be happening.
Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Character(s), Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s), Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 55





	1. Cereal Isn't Real Food

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first Fanfiction and I know I'm late to the whole DBH fanfic game, but I've recently replayed the game and this story has just been building in my head for weeks. Plus, I got nothing but time right now. So here it is, I hope it's not to bad.
> 
> Enjoy!♥

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imogene tries to live her normal day to day life, but the dread in the pit of her stomach keeps growing. Now it's not just a feeling, things in Detroit are changing and Gene can't help but worry about what that means for the ones she loves most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is my first Fanfiction and I know I'm late to the whole DBH fanfic game, but I've recently replayed the game and this story has just been building in my head for weeks. Plus, I got nothing but time right now. So here it is, I hope it's not to bad.
> 
> Enjoy!♥
> 
> Update: Edited Sep. 7th, 2020

**[August 15th, 2038]**

**Imogene**

“Jab. Right hook. Left Hook. Duck. Again!” Amar’s commands echo through the empty underground gym, but by the time he finishes saying one move Gene is already moving to the next.

After 5 years of doing the same closing drills with him, she knows the pattern by heart. At this point, it’s all muscle memory. Despite this, she still pays close attention to the slightest shifts in his body language, looking for any hints that he might change things up. 

She's always amazed by how swift and powerful his movements are, even simple punches, he never hesitates, never falters. For years he was a professional boxer, but that came to a quick end when androids took over the sport 5 years ago. 

It only took a few months for the entire sport to phase out human boxers. Androids where an instant hit just like in every other industry. They don't have to hold back. They can blindly tear each other apart, becoming busted and blue, only stopping when their opponents LED goes out. 

Over the years the world seems to have mostly forgotten about Amar and his heavyweight boxing career, but he never has. 

After he left the professional ring behind, he founded  _ Amar's Ring. _ Here, he is able to hold on to what is left of his glory days through dusty shelves filled with old trophies and photos, and walls covered in posters commemorating the best boxing matches of the century. 

Aside from the memorabilia filled shelves and all the posters, there is a plethora of old punching bags and workout equipment strewn about the room. At the center is the main boxing ring where they're currently running their drills. 

To Gene, the gym and all its dated equipment feel as though they belong to another time, but even so, Amar’s not doing bad for himself. He’s maintained his extremely muscular figure despite his age and has many celebrity clients. That's his real business now. He’s the go-to personal trainer for the rich and famous. 

Hardly anyone comes to this old underground gym, besides her and a few of his old buddies. Now it’s just a reminder of what once was. But she finds a strange comfort here. It is it's own little world, completely detached from the mayhem of the city above.

“Alright kid. Stretch and then you're good to go. Good job today," Amar says, lowering his punching mitts.

Gene takes a few breaths and wipes the sweat from her brow. “Thanks, Boss.”

Slipping off his mitts, Amar bends over and slips through the ropes bordering the ring. Gene quickly follows him down onto the floor and begins the process of removing her gloves and the wrappings beneath.

Tossing her gloves to the ground, she starts undoing the wraps on her left hand. As she does, her pale knuckles come into view and instantly Gene regrets being so hasty when she arrived 2-hours prior. She had been so eager to start that she hadn't properly wrapped her hands and now she’s paying for it. The fabric had been too loose. It moved around and rubbed her already callused knuckles raw.

Sighing, she ignores the sting of the air hitting her wounds and finishes unwrapping before tossing the first wrapping to lay over her shoulder and beginning on the right. 

Gene has always been abnormally pale in comparison to basically everyone, but as she unwraps her right hand, the material beneath is most definitely not her skin, no. Beneath, her hand is almost entirely made up of a milky white composite material. The same material used in the construction of many of the exterior body components for androids.

A car accident during childhood took not only her mother but her hand as well as both of her legs from the top of her thighs to the tips of her toes. 

The first time Amar had seen her hand was their first session together. He had been about to show her how to wrap her hands before putting on the punching gloves but stopped mid-sentence when she removed the black leather gloves she always wore. It took him a second to process, but he quickly caught himself and carried on with his instructions. 

For some reason she feels like he understands to a degree, having scars you don’t want to explain. But even if he doesn’t, he’s never asked questions and she appreciates that. 

“A towel for you, Miss Knott.” Louie, the gym AC700 Android, holds out a towel for Gene to wipe her sweaty brow with. She tosses the second hand-wrap over her shoulder and graciously accepts the outstretched towel.

“Thank you, Louie,” she takes some deep breaths and wipes away the sweat from her face, “and for the last time, call me Gene, or even Imogene just not  _ Miss Knott _ .” She can’t help but cringe as she says the strange title.

The LED on Louie’s temple flashes yellow for a second before returning to its usual calm blue. 

“I don’t know why you bother, kid. It doesn’t even call  _ me  _ by my first name.” Amar pipes in from his seat against the wall.

Louie’s smile remains the same, but the formation of wrinkles at the corners of his eye’s hints at a mischievous amusement.

“I’m sorry, Miss Knott, but my programming dictates that I show the utmost respect to our patrons. _ Mr. Reeves,  _ the men's restroom requires cleaning, may I excuse myself?” Gene laughs at how Louie enunciates Amar's last name. Amar just rolls his eyes and nods before waving Louie away. 

“Yeah. Thanks, Louie,” he calls. 

Standing, Amar takes a few steps towards Gene and holds out his hand expectantly. She smiles and says a quick thank you before placing her hand wraps into his open palm. He hums and goes back to his seat where he begins rolling the fabric. 

“Get your stretches done, then you gotta go. I have an appointment with a client, and I need to lock up after you leave.” 

“Why not have Louie do it?” she asks, beginning to stretch out her arms

Amar finishes up her first hand-wrap, sets it aside, and starts on the second. “You're a cop ain’t cha’? You should know the answer to that.” 

“I’m a  _ detective _ , not a cop.” She glares in his direction, but he just chuckles and continues his rolling. “You're worried about the protesters then?” she asks.

He gives an affirming hum and finishes up the second hand-wrap. Picking up the two rolls, he tosses them into the open gym bag sitting on the bench beside him and leans back against the wall. 

The bag is Gene’s and beside it sits her police badge, holster, and Glock. She never leaves the loft without them. Her first week as a detective she made that mistake when she went shopping with Mia. Halfway into their excursion, she got called in to assist the Red Ice taskforce. She had to go home first to grab them and ended up taking over an hour to get to the precinct earning her an earful not only from Reed but the Captain.

Amar looks towards the bathrooms in the back corner. The men's door is propped open with a bucket and mop. “I’ve been taking him with me to see my clients. Was good for a while, but I think I’m gonna start dropping him off at home. I don’t wanna take chances with any stupid angry protesters. You know?” 

She nods understandingly. “I get it. If you got an extra key I can lock up for you. I’ll give it back next time.” Amar shoots her an unsure glance. “I’m a  _ cop,  _ you can trust me.” 

He rolls his eyes but can't hide the smirk forming on his lips. He stands and walks off towards the stairs which lead out of the underground gym and into his office. Gene continues her stretches and a few minutes later Amar returns with a set of three keys. 

“Alright,  _ Miss Detective,  _ these are my only spares so don’t lose them. The security console is in the office upstairs, on the wall just right of the door. Make sure to turn it on. Lock the office with this key.” He holds up one of the copper keys before placing them into her outstretched hand. “I already locked the back so don't worry ‘bout that. Once you turn on the system you have 5 minutes to leave and lock the front door. You got all that?”

Gene shrugs. “Could you repeat that like 3 more times. Maybe write it down.” She tries to look serious, but can’t stop a smirk from spreading on her face. “Yeah, I got it. It’s easy enough.” 

Amar gives her an unamused look and rolls his eyes. “Haha, very funny, kid. Louie, You ready to go?” 

“Yes. I’m just going to put the mop back.” Louie walks out of the bathroom turning off the light and moving the bucket to allow the door to close.

“Alright. Oh, and make sure to turn off all the lights too” says Amar.

Gene nods placing the keys next to her gun and badge. “You got it, Boss. Don’t worry. I think I’m capable enough to manage this.” 

He shoots her a glare as if to say, ‘I’m serious’. She just snickers and goes back to her stretches. Louie comes out from the back storage closet and begins walking towards the stairs. 

“Alright, I’ll see you later, kid. Remember, lights!” Amar calls, following after Louie.

“Yeah yeah. See you, Boss. Bye Louie!” she calls. The android looks over his shoulder and gives a cordial nod, but before continuing on his way.

Soon enough the two of them disappear up the stairs and she hears the bell of the entrance ring signaling their departure. Before continuing, Gene gets a swig of water from her water bottle and looks around the room. 

Without the other two, the gym grows colder. She can almost feel the dust in the air settle, and the quiet becomes deafening. Uncomfortable alone, Gene grabs her earbuds and phone from her bag and turns on some music to distract her while she finishes up. The sound helps, but it doesn’t completely rid her of the unsettling feeling within her chest.

20 minutes later shes finished her stretches, changed out of her workout attire, and is packed up and ready to go. She flips the gym lights off before heading up the stairs and doing exactly as Amar instructed. She turns on the security system, locks the office, and then heads out the door. 

The walk home is short —only a couple blocks, 5 minutes maximum— and yet, as she walks through the city streets it feels like an eternity. Simply walking to the corner and passing a shopping plaza feels like walking through Tartarus. 

The creation of androids is an amazing fete for mankind, there is no arguing that. But with it came a new world order. Now record-high unemployment is a fact of life and the sunken faces of the people left behind on every street corner serve as a constant reminder.

Stepping out, Gene is quick to lock up the door before briskly walking out of the dark alleyway. As she walks looks out at the street and the people around her, and she can’t help but imagine a different Detroit. One where no human or android is left behind or forgotten. She knows it's unrealistic, but she imagines it nonetheless.

The loft Gene and Mia call home is on the fourth floor of an old car production factory. 

With the invention of Androids as well as the advancement of technology in the past 10 years, many factories have become unnecessary. Companies can produce the same volume with less than half the factories they once required. So, many of the old buildings have been renovated within recent years. 

Their unit is quite large considering its price. The realtor who showed them the place told her it used to house a huge assembly line and that she was lucky because the management office on the second floor converted into the perfect master suite. But really, besides the brick everywhere, factory windows, and weird upstairs, it looks just like any modern apartment. 

The entryway leads into a long hallway that connects to the living room and kitchen. On the right of the hallway, there are two sliding doors, one leading to the bathroom and the other to Mia’s workshop. Finally, there are the metal stairs in the living room which lead to the bedroom. It’s nice, but the only reason she fell in love and bought the place was the floor to ceiling windows in the living room. 20-foot tall windows that look out at the lights of the city below. 

Taking off her shoes, Gene tosses them into the shoe basket by the door and heads up to her room. As she passes the workshop, she notices the door is wide open. inside she sees Mia standing at her meticulously organized worktable. Despite the many toolboxes and storage cabinets, she always keeps her favorite set of tools aligned perfectly atop the table. 

Splayed out along with the tools is one of Gene’s leg components with its plates removed exposing the internal biocomponents. 

Mia’s thick blond hair is pulled up into her signature pony exposing her solid yellow LED. Knowing it’s best to not disturb the working woman, Gene continues upstairs. 

Climbing the stairs and opening her door, she throws her dirty gym clothes into her hamper and tosses her gym bag onto the bed. She slips off her gloves, removes her badge and holster from her person, and delicately placing them all on her bedside table. 

Downstairs, she can hear pots and pans clank together and the gas stove igniting so she hurries to grab a towel and some pajamas before heading back down to the kitchen.

Down there she finds Mia heating up a skillet and cutting some mushrooms. “You don't have to make me dinner. I can do it,” Gene says but Mia simply quirks a brow and continues cutting. 

“Your version of dinner is cereal _.  _ That is  _ not  _ real food.”

"I beg to differ." Gene counters earning a grin from Mia. 

“Just go shower. I’ll make food and then after, you can pay me back by letting me make some adjustments to your leg.” 

Sighing, Gene nods “Thank you.” She says before setting off to take a shower as instructed.

It doesn’t take long for her to finish up in the shower and once she’s out and dressed, she gets to work on her hair. 

‘ _ Remember to scrunch your hair, that's the best way to avoid frizzy curls. _ ’ 

Mia’s words ring in her memory. The android has been with her for almost as long as she can remember. They have been through thick and thin, and Mia has always done her best to help Gene. That includes the night before her first day as a detective when she was having a meltdown over her frizzy curls.

With her hair properly towel-dried, she applies some more products before tossing her clothes and towel in the hamper and exiting the bathroom.

When she opened the door the smell of food hits her nose and her mouth begins to water. With a pep in her step, Gene walking into the kitchen and takes a seat at the breakfast bar.

“It smells so good! You're a godsend have I told you that?” Mia smiles and finishes cutting a steak before placing it alongside some greens and topping it with the mouthwatering mushrooms.

“You have. Many times,” she answers putting the plate and silverware before Gene. Gene says a quick ‘thank you’ before digging in. 

“So, I have been working on a new design for your legs.” Mia leans casually against the counter, propping her head up with her hand “I moved some components around. It should alleviate the strain on the major joints and better distribute the force throughout the leg. That and some smaller tweaks.” 

Despite how deliciously distracting her food is, Gene makes sure to pay attention to Mia’s words. She has always worked hard to try and improve upon the work of Gene’s father. Especially when she decided to sign up for the police academy. Mia worked nonstop to make her legs the best they could be. Even with Gene’s mental block, she never relented all while keeping Gene going as well. 

“How about those contacts you were working on?” Gene’s question draws an annoyed sigh from Mia, an oddly human habit of hers. One that always entertains Gene seeing as the android doesn’t actually breathe.

“That project is quite frustrating. I have the whole chip connection figured out, but the interface is proving to be more difficult. Though I think I’ve almost cracked the scanner inlay. I don’t know we’ll see…” She looks past Gene and out the window, obviously troubled by her lack of progress. She had been working on this pet project since Gene joined the force years ago.

“Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out. You always do.” Gene’s happy to see the android seemingly relax a bit with her words. Mia’s eyebrows unknit themselves and her face softens back into its normal calm and relaxed state.

“Anyway, well do the upgrade after you're done eating. Alright?” Gene nods before shoveling another forkful into her mouth. “Perfect. I am gonna finish up some work then.” With a quick peck on Gene's forehead, she heads back into her workshop. The sounds of her tools flooding into the rest of the apartment.

“TV on.” Gene grabs her remaining food and moves to sit on the couch, crossing her legs beneath her to prop her plate up.

“A deviant android has taken a young girl hostage at gunpoint atop a building in downtown Detroit. The Detroit police SWAT team is on the scene, but it appears they are at a standstill.” 

Gene’s plate slips from her grasp falling to the ground, shattering. She hears Mia drop what she’s doing and come running into the room, but her eyes remain focused on the screen in front of her.

“Are you okay? What's wro—” Mia’s words falter as she takes in the scene on the screen. 

Gene doesn’t move, she just watches in horror. She can feel her gut flip and as anxiety begins to build. 

“We've just heard that there is, in fact, a victim already dead within the apartment but little else has been heard due to the nature of the situati— Oh! It looks like a negotiator is on site. A man… No, an android! They have sent out an android to negotiate and save this child's life. I’m not sure if this has ever been done before bu…” 

Gene feels the couch cushion dip as Mia sits beside her. She doesn’t look at her but silently reaches out her hand for Mia’s. Mia grasps her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“It looks as though the negotiator is helping one of the first responders who was shot! Oh, he’s advancing again. Wi-” They watch as the negotiator advances towards the deviant. Trying to reason with it. They watch as he sends away the SWAT helicopter, and as the Deviant slowly releases the young girl. Gene sucks in a breath as the girl falls to the glass-covered concrete, and then as a bullet rips through the deviant's side, leaving a gaping blue hole. 

In a flash, the TV is off. And Gene is left staring at her horrified reflection in the black screen. 

“It’s going to be alright. Don’t worry.” Mia’s soft voice fills the silence. It’s sure, unwavering and as Gene turns to meet the android's gaze, she can see the determination within her eyes. For a second, she believes her words but then she sees the red light of her LED. 

Taking a deep breath, Gene forces a smile. She ignoring the sinking of her heart. The lump growing in her throat. Even the shake in her breath. She ignores it all and chooses to believe.

“You're right. And even if it isn’t, all we can do—” She releases Mia’s hand and pushes herself up off the couch. 

“—is our best.” Mia finishes and stands. Despite the android’s proud smile, her eyes are somber. “Okay, let's clean up. I still want to plug in those new legs for you.” 

Gene nods, and they begin cleaning up the shattered plate and spoiled food off the floor. 

The air is tense. Despite their attempts to lighten the mood with their normal bickering. They can both feel it. The shift within Detroit. Things are changing, whether they are ready or not. 

Later that night, as Gene lay in her normal ‘repair chair’ in the workshop, watching Mia work, she can’t stop her eyes from focusing on the ring of light on the android’s temple.

When she was a little girl, she thought the light was so pretty. Some days, before she got her prosthetics, Gene would refuse to get out of bed. No matter what Mia tried she refused. Nothing she did would move the young girl from the comfort and security of her bed. 

So, Mia would lay there with her. Reading books to her, drawing, or just keeping her company. Sometimes They would sit quietly listening to the sounds of the outside world while Gene would trace the light of Mia’s LED with the tip of her small finger. It, along with the android it was attached to, brought her much needed comfort during a time where there was no one else to.

“Hey, Mia.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t go out without me anymore alright? At least not for a while.” Mia hesitates for a moment. Keeping her eyes downcast towards Gene’s leg, but she quietly nods and continues her work. “I’m sorry. It’s just... ” Gene’s whispers taper off. 

Mia’s demeanor softens and she stops working to look up again.. Lifting her hand, she gently takes hold of Gene’s hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. 

“I know little bean. I know. Don’t worry Everything will be okay. I’m not going anywhere.” Mia gives her hand one more squeeze before returning to her work. Gene lets out a sigh before closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the chair cushion.


	2. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains some kinda graphic stuff. Treating wounds and such. Be warned!
> 
> So, this chapter and the next one were originally one single chapter but then it was like 8000 words long and I didn't want to do that to you guys. So I split them up where it felt most natural to do so. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! 💗

**[November 5th, 2038]**

**Imogene**

243 deviant cases in the last 9 months. Mostly assaults and runaways. Androids attacking their owners and then either disappearing or being deactivated by officers and then sent to the dump. 

Since the very public deviant hostage situation, two months ago, things have only gotten worse. Whispers are growing louder, protests more violent. Just last week an android was attacked by a group of protestors on the street while going to pick up his family's child from school. He was damaged to the point of needing serious repairs. Their owner was furious.

“Hey Gene, you off soon?” Looking up from her terminal Gene is greeted by Miller, one of her favorite uniform officers. She smiles and swivels around to face him.

“Yeah, got an hour left. Just got to finish up some reports and then I’m gonna head home and finally get some sleep. You?”

“I’m on night shift, just got her an hour ago. Bout to go on patrol with Williams.” She nods and lets out a small yawn. He gives her a concerned look and takes a seat on the edge of her desk. “When is the last time you slept?” She snorts and leans back, shrugging.

“The night before I joined the force.” He cocks an eyebrow and folds his arms waiting for a real response. “Alright, dad. Lay off, will you? I’ve been looking into the android cases all week and just haven’t been able to get enough sleep.”

He shakes his head in disapproval, the same head-shake Mia always gives her. The two of them talk for a bit longer but are interrupted when Morrisa, one of their dispatchers, pings her TRE (two-way radio earpiece).

“Detective Knott. We have a rouge android situation. Two officers are already on-site, but the chief wants you to go and check it out.”

“Sorry Miller, I gotta head out. I’ll talk to you later.” She frowns apologetically, but he just nods and shuffles off. She quickly gets up and grabs her coat and satchel before heading towards the door. “So much for a good night’s sleep.” She mumbles before putting a finger to her TRE and talking to Morrisa.

“Hey Morrisa, can I get an address, I’m heading out now.” She heads out the entrance doors and hops onto her department-issued cruiser.

“8941 Lafayette Avenue, its Carl Manfred House.” She inputs the address into the dashboard console and lets the car drive autonomously.

“The famous painter?” The only reason Gene knows of the guy is a domestic dispute one of the uniforms told her about. Something about his son needing to be removed from the property.

“That’s him. I just heard that there was an injured party, looks like it was the son. Paramedics are on their way now. Should be there when you arrive.” Gene nods but doesn’t respond. Instead, she leans back and looks out the window at the dark streets of Detroit. It’s raining pretty hard and only getting worse. She lets out a sign thinking of her warm bed back home and the bag of gummy bears waiting for her on the coffee table.

“This is gonna be a long night.”

She hears the sirens first. As her cruiser pulls onto the street in front of the house an ambulance zooms past her going the opposite direction. There is another police cruiser parked out in front of the house. The number on the side of the hood indicates her the two officers inside are Langley and Willis. She takes a deep breath as the car parks to the side of the road. She gets out and sees one of the officers, Langley, standing at the open front door waiting for her. She quickly walks up and inside, shaking the rain off her coat and shoes as best she can.

“Detective the son was injured and has been taken to the hospital to receive emergency care but Mr. Manfred is still inside. We requested he wait to talk with you, and he complied. The androids’ in the studio” She nods and turns to look at the house interior. It's beautiful, traditional in a sense but it has hits of color in odd places which adds some personal flare. A colorful runner on the stairs. An oddly bright painting on the wall. Strange, but beautiful none the less.

She gestures for them to move on and follows Langley as he leads her through the house and into the living area. Willis is standing near the open door which looks to lead into an art studio, while Carl sits in his wheelchair across the room looking out one of the windows.

Gene offers a nod towards Willis, one which he returns. She then turns to Langley and, in a hushed voice, instructs him to take Willis into the studio to watch the android while she talks to Mr. Manfred.

“Don’t touch it… Just watch it.” He nods and heads off taking, Willis with him. Once they are out of the room, she approaches Carl.

“Mr. Manfred, I’m detective Imogene Knott. I appreciate you staying back to talk with me. I just have a few questions before some officers come to escort you to the hospital. Is that alright?” He doesn’t move for a few seconds. When he does move, he barely shifts his head to look at her. His eyes are sunken and red. He just looks incredibly exhausted. He maintains eye contact for another few seconds and then nods ever so slightly.

“Could you recount the events of the night for me, sir? Just so I understand what happened.” He sighs and turns his wheels so that he is facing her. With folded arms, he begins telling her of his night.

“We, Markus and I, had just come back from an event. We saw the lights on in the studio and Markus called you guys. We went into the studio and find my son. He was… upset. He began yelling and I asked Markus to make him leave.” He pauses taking a deep breath. Gene waits patiently for him to feel comfortable continuing and eventually he does. “He began pushing Markus. It escalated, and well… Markus pushed back… Leo fell back hit his head and then those dolts showed up and shot him.” He motions towards the studio and she knows he means Langley and Willis. Gene nods beginning to understand.

“So, it was self-defense…” She mumbles to herself, but her words seem to reach him. His gaze sharpens and his shoulders tense. “Uh… Sorry, just thinking out loud. Did you give Markus any orders Mr. Manfred? Any at all.” Carl remains silent staring at her as if deciding something. Finally, he softens and sighs.

“I told him to not fight back.” She pauses. Markus had been specifically ordered to do nothing. So, he was pushed to the edge by this Leo guy. Poor guy. She grows distracted by her thoughts and barely registers Carl still speaking. “Markus has always been a good boy. He’s kind and he’s taken better care than I could have ever asked for. He was like a son to me.” Imogene’s heart melts and her gut wrenches for this poor old man. She can’t imagine the pain he is going through. Images of Mia race through her mind and without thinking she speaks.

“If I may, Mr. Manfred. What do you think of Markus now?” He pauses and stares at her for a moment. Then a small melancholic smile forms on his lips.

“He’s still my son. They both are.” She smiles and nods. She can’t help but empathize with the man’s situation, having to choose a side. It scares her to think she might find herself in a similar position. Pushing aside her turbulent thought she continues asking a few questions while waiting for the escort to arrive.

A few minutes later she hears a police siren wailing outside, most likely the escort. She turns to the man and smiles.

“Well, Mr. Manfred looks like your escort is here. Thank you very much for staying back to talk with me, it means a lot. I’ll try my best to right this wrong for you sir.” His smile grows ever so slightly and though still somber, his eyes have a glint of understanding within them.

“Of course.” He nods and begins wheeling himself towards the two officers. He pauses and looks back at her just before passing through the doorway.

“I wish you good luck, Detective. I know you’ll do what is right.” He doesn’t give her time to respond before continuing out the door alongside the officers. She stands there frozen watching him go, eyebrows drawn together. She quickly snaps out of her frozen state and switches back into work mode, heading into the studio.

There Langley and Willis stand nervously waiting for her. When she enters, they both breathe a sigh of relief and shuffle away from the body fidgeting awkwardly. They’re obviously unsettled by the android body lying on the floor in the center of the room in a pool of its own blue blood. Rolling her eyes she pulls out her phone from her bag and begins instructing the older men.

“You two go grab the body bag and gurney. I’m going to take some pictures and properly wipe him.” They pause, Willis’s tenses and he shoots Langley a glance. He just shrugs back before turning around and leaving the room. Willis huffs but follows him. Willis, as well as a few other officers, wasted no energy trying to hide their dislike for her, but she does her best to ignore them.

Gene surveys the room and takes some quick photos for the report. She’s sure to capture the unfurled canvases on the far table as well as the broken glass jars strewn around along with random painting supplies near the android’s body.

Putting away her phone, she moves to kneel next to the android to get a better look at his condition. He has three bullet wounds and the pool of blue is slowly growing. His skin is beginning to disappear on his limbs. She quickly reaches into her bag and retrieves three tampons from her emergency pouch.

CyberLife requests that officers ‘wipe’ androids before discarding them. They are supposed to take out the thorium regulators as well as damage the android in some way. To deter scrappers. Seeing his condition, she feels her hope slipping away but she ignores it. Acting quickly, she unwraps the tampons and removes the cotton from the plastic applicators and pulls up the android’s shirt to get a better look at the wounds

She can’t do much, but she hopes that maybe somehow a miracle will happen. His toned tanned chest is covered in the blue thorium. She grimaces and probes the wounds with her fingers. He doesn’t react and she begins to doubt there is anything she can do, but she refuses to stop. She takes the cotton tubes one by one and pushes them into the bullet holes in hopes of trying to stop any more blood loss. She cringes feeling the cotton rub against his synthetic skin and biocomponents, but she presses on knowing she has little time before the other two come back.

“The documentary better not have lied to me. Or so help me…” She gags as she plunges the final cotton tube into his wound. Taking deep breaths, the pulls his shirt back into place and checks to see if her work is at all noticeable.

 _‘Nothing, perfect.’_ Next, she reaches behind his ear and feels for an indent. For once she’s thankful for the draining days when they were instructed on how to wide androids. As she’s feeling for the indent, she notices a faint flicker of red within his LED. She probably wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t been so close. She freezes and stares, looking for any other signs of life from his body. 

“I don’t know if you can hear me Markus, but if you can I’m trying to help.” She keeps her voice quiet, worried for when the officers will return, but as she speaks, she sees his eyes flutter ever so slightly before closing once again. The sound of the wheels of the gurney getting closer make her heart race. She finally finds the indent she was looking for and pushes. His skin recedes and a chip pops out from its hidden socket. She pulls out his audio processor just as the two men enter the room once again.

Trying to maintain her normal demeanor she calmly stands and turns to them, offering a smile. Langley is pushing the gurney while Willis stands next to him holding a folded-up body bag.

“Hey, guys.” She tosses the audio processor to the ground in front of her and steps down on it with the sole of her boot. The sound of the metal and plastic cracking and snapping signals that she has sufficiently broken it.

“I’m all done here. The android has been fully whipped so you don’t need to worry about that. You two got the rest, or do I need to stick around?” She tries to keep her face calm cool and collected, but she finds herself nervously tugging at her right glove ensuring that it is still covering the white material beneath it. They look to each other before Willis turns back to her and shakes his head.

“I think we’re capable of bagging this thing. You can head back.” He pushes past her, hitting shoulders with her as he passes. She shoots him a glare but ignores his rude behavior. Langley Shoots her an apologetic frown before wheeling the gurney further into the room.

“Alright, well see ya later then.” Slightly annoyed she heads towards the door only looking back one last time at the android before leaving the room fully. As soon as she is out of the room, she hears Willis mumble in a hushed voice to his partner.

“How the fuck is that kid a detective while were stuck on patrols.”

“I don’t know man, cool your shit. Let’s just get this done with so we can go grab some food. I’m starving.”

Imogene huffs but ignores them and continues on her way. As she walks, she tries not to imagine the repercussions if someone discovers what she did that night. Instead, she just hopes for the best for the android. Though she technically had done wrong, it felt right. For the first time in a while, she felt a bit lighter.

Once back in her cruiser she sets the autopilot and decides to make a call.

“Call Mia.” It takes only a few seconds for Mia to pick up. When she does Gene speaks before she can.

“So, I’m gonna be home late tonight…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you are enjoying reading so far! I have loved writing this story. This is the first time in a long time I have written anything besides essays and stuff for class... I'm not the most experienced writer so any constructive criticism is more than welcome! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, love you all!♥  
> Bissle.


	3. We Are Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When writing a report and interrogating a traumatized android, takes a sharp turn for the worse. All while Imogene grows more and more confused by a certain android.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter mentions abuse, and also has explicit violence and death. Also, this chapter is a long boi (almost 8000 words). Be warned!
> 
> Enjoy!♥  
> Bissle.

**[November 5th, 2038]**

**Imogene**

Mia was not happy, but she understood. Gene has always put her work before herself. Often sleeping less than a couple of hours on weeknights and even some weekends because of her work. Her dedication to her work is something Mia has always been proud of, but it often leads to Gene neglecting taking care of herself. Gene plays it off as just being ‘part of the job’, but Mia hates when she says that.

Walking through the sliding doors, Gene is met with the normal buzz of the bullpen. Night or day crime never sleeps, but tonight the officers seem particularly talkative. She is not exactly in the mood to find out what it is that has gotten them all in a tizzy. So, instead, she makes a beeline for her desk, which luckily is right next to the doors.

For the most part, her desk is pretty clean. She has very few personal items after all. There’s her DPD mug which is home to all her pens and pencils. Then there is the fake plant Mia got for her when she first joined the force. The only other thing besides a pile of case files and a few stray candy wrappers is a photo of her and Mia, taken the day she graduated from the police academy. They got a few weird looks, but Gene was so happy that day she couldn’t have cared less.

Tossing her satchel onto a pile of files she shrugs off her coat and takes a seat at her terminal. She finds it hard to even begin writing her report but the thought of her bed waiting for her at home serves as a great motivator, and she dives into her work. Writing her report as fast as she can, whilst ensuring it is still up to par. It takes her about an hour to write the full report as well as fill out all the paperwork. By the end of it, she is exhausted and ready for bed. She yawns and stretches a bit before signing out of her terminal and collecting her things. She removes her TRE and tosses it into her bag before standing and grabbing her jacket.

As she finishes putting it on, she hears a commotion behind her. She turns to see Hank and Reed dragging in a very bloody and cuffed android. Following them is another android. The one from the hostage situation she realizes. Her eyebrow knit together as she watches the lot of them make their way towards the interrogation room. Her favorite of the two Millers slowly trails behind him and without thinking she finds herself jogging up beside him.

“Chris, what’s going on?” He lets out a deep sigh looking as tired as she feels. As they walk her eyes remain trained on the android from the hostage situation. His jacket identifies him as a model RK800, but she’s never heard of that model.

‘ _A new model maybe?_ ’

“Android killed its owner. Stabbed him 28 times and then hid in the attic. Gonna question it, after that, I don’t know... Aren’t you supposed to be off?” She shrugs, ignoring his question and follows him into the observation room. There the RK800 is already standing watching as Reed and Hank cuff the android to the table.

The RK800 takes notice of her as she enters the room, and turns to offer a friendly, if not a bit forced, smile. Which she returns.

“Hello, my names Connor. I’m an android sent by CyberLife.” Connor's voice is warm, but like most androids, it feels… hollow. Which always throws her off since she’s so used to Mia. Gene nods and holds her hand out for him to shake.

“Detective Imogene Knott, nice to meet you, Connor.” Miller shoots her a glance as if to say, _‘it's an android, why are you talking to it like it's human?’_ , but she ignores him. Connor himself seems to pause. His eyes glance down at her gloved right hand, and then back up at her. The LED on his temple flashes yellow for a second before he swiftly lifts his hand and returns the gesture with a firm grip.

His face looks young, they must have been aiming to have him look like he was around his mid 20's. His skin is pale, not as pale as hers, but pale. His hair is simultaneously perfectly combed and tousled, and a few chocolate locks flawlessly swoop over his forehead. As she looks closer, she notices just that it’s not just his face. Everything about him is concise and clean. His tie is taut and straight. His jacket, besides being a bit wet from the rain, is crisp and clean.

As their hands fall apart, she snickers a bit imagining him staring in a mirror inspecting his clothes or fixing stray hairs. Realizing her odd behavior, she tries to play it off with a cough. 

“Umm, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you here?” Miller, who had been ignoring their awkwardness lets out a laugh, but Connor's expression remains the same.

“I’m here to assist in this investigation. I am a model RK800, a prototype detective android designed to assist the DPD.” Gene nods and shoots a glare at Miller who just smirks at her. They say nothing more and turn to watch as Reed leaves the interrogation room, leaving Hank to settle down and begin his questioning.

The door to the hallway slides open and Reed walks in. Their eyes lock for a second before she turns back to the glass.

“Knott.”

“Reed.”

The two of them went to the academy together. Reed graduated second in their class. She, after months of busting her ass, beat him last minute for valedictorian. Neither of them likes the other, but their distaste for each other has never gone beyond minor squabbles and remarks. She likes to believe they have a level of mutual respect. Though, she’s not sure if that’s true or not.

While she had been longing to get home and go to bed, not too long ago, that feeling has now vanished. Instead, she's consumed with curiosity. They are all silent watching as Hank questions the android. She surveys the android’s condition. She notes the small circular burn marks on his arm and forehead, cigarette butts. Then the bald spots on the side of his head where someone had messily shaved some of his hair. Finally, there is a large gash on his right forearm, most likely caused by a blunt weapon. Most likely a bat or a metal pipe.

She quickly concludes that this boy, this android, had been through hell. From the marks all over his body, the victim, Carlos Ortiz has been abusing him for a long time. She would never say it out loud, but a part of her felt the guy got what he deserved, despite how messed up that is.

“Do you got a name?” Silence.

“Why’d you do it? Why’d you kill him?” Again, no response.

They watch as Hank pokes and prods the android with queries, but all he gets is silence. The android keeps his gaze fixated on where his hands are cuffed to the table and with every unanswered question, she can see Hank's frustration growing.

“What are you guys gonna do with him after you get a confession?” Her question is pointed towards Reed, but it’s Connor who speaks up. An action which earns him a glare from the man.

“He will be sent to CyberLife. There they will deconstruct him and look for clues as to what caused his deviation.” His cold tone sends a shiver down her spine. It's completely different from the warm voice he greeted her with.

“So that’s it? They're just gonna kill him and then treat his corpse like some experiment. That hardly seems fair.” She can’t keep the contempt from in her voice. Everyone in the room stares at her. Connor’s brows furrow in innocent confusion. Miller just looks shocked, but Reed has the most extreme reaction to her words. She can see a fire ignite in his eyes.

“That plastic asshole killed a man Knott. Stabbed him 28 times. What would you have us do?” He hisses at her. Rather than reacting to his outburst, she remains silent. She knows nothing she says to him will matter. So, she keeps her eyes trained on the android on the other side of the glass. 

“I assure you Detective; the deviant is not human. It is not alive, none of us are. Any human emotions it may emulate are just errors in its code.”

She signs and shakes her head, but again, remains silent. She can’t help but feel frustrated, helpless. None of this feels right. Her heart screams for her to help, to do something, but what? She can’t just clear all his charges and set him free. Hell, she can’t even help him get proper counsel to defend himself. She joined the force to help people, but androids aren’t _people._

‘ _He’s an android, and the law doesn’t protect androids_.’

“Say something goddamn it!” Hank throws his hands down on the table, probably hoping it would frighten the android into talking somehow, but all he succeeds in is startling Gene and disrupting her thoughts.

“Fuck it, I’m outta here.” Hank stands and leaves the room in a huff.

The observation room door slides open and Hank saunters in, plopping himself down in the open chair beside her.

“Talking to a machine is a waste of our fuckin time. We’ll get nothing out of it.” Gene raises an eyebrow at the man. Slightly annoyed at how ready he is to give up, but this sort of behavior when it comes to androids isn’t new from Hank.

“He’s _emulating_ human emotions, right? So we should try treating him like one… Empathize with him. Show him we care. He might talk then.” She tries to hide her agitation, but her words come out quite harsh. Despite this, Hank seems to consider her but ultimately shrugging her suggestion off dismissively. Reed lets out a scoff.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me, Knott. It is not human. It’s a fucking bucket of bolts. I say we try roughing it up a little.” It’s her turn to scoff now. She's no stranger to her suggestions being ignored with little to no consideration, but that didn't stop her from finding amusement in the predictability of Reed's mind. 

“What are you a gangster. We don’t _rough up_ suspects. That’s fucking illegal.” She glowers at him and leans her back against the wall behind her, folding her arms in front of her chest. Reed opens his mouth, but Connor interrupts before he has the chance to berate her.

“Androids don’t feel pain, you would only succeed in damaging it.” Connor is completely unaffected by the tension between the humans in the room. As he talks Reed glares daggers at him. “It may also self-destruct when placed under a high amount of stress.” His voice remains monotone and matter of fact.

 _‘Just as designed…’_ She sighs and wonders what the android’s true personality might be like.

“Fine smartass. What do you say we do?” Reed sneers, but Connor remains unaffected.

“I could try questioning it.” His statement sends Reed into an obnoxiously loud laughing fit. As if the idea of an android which was designed to be a detective questioning someone was preposterous. He looks to Hank probably expecting him to react the same way, but Hank remains quiet, thinking.

“It can’t hurt. I mean he was designed to do this.” She pipes in, deliberately keeping her gaze on the lieutenant, avoiding the other detective’s glares. Hank signs and throws his hand up in the air in defeat.

“What do we have to lose? Go ahead, it’s all yours.” A small smile grows on her lips as she watches Connor nod and head out of the room. Both entering and leaving the interrogation and observation rooms require a biometric scan of one's hand. As Connor raises his hand, his pale synthetic skin recedes to expose as the porcelain white hand beneath. She quickly looks away, feeling as though it’s wrong to look at something so…personal. She unconsciously reaches for her right glove but stops herself midway.

Connor walks out and the door slides shut. As soon as he is out of the room, Reed seems to feel the need to make his displeasure even more obvious than it already is.

“This is a fucking joke.” She ignores him and watches as Connor enters the other room. He stands there for a few seconds after the door closes, analyzing the android in front of him. Then he calmly walks over and flips through the case file sitting on the table. She finds his dilly-dallying oddly… human. She can’t imagine him not having some sort of wireless access to the digital case file, which makes his actions even more perplexing. He closes the file and turns towards the mirror. Though she knows the mirror is only one way it feels as though he is staring right at her.

“What the fuck is it doing.” Something about the unsettling feeling of Connors eyes locked with hers and the annoying tenor of Reed’s voice causes Gene’s self-control to break for a second. She spins her head around and scowls at him.

“Reed. Can you just shut the fuck up, for once?” He glares back at her but the venom in her voice seems to dissuade any further comments from him. The two of them go back to watching Connor as he turns and settles into the chair opposite of the other android, placing his hands casually on the table, fingers interlaced.

“My name is Connor. What about you? What’s your name?” Connor waits for a response, but again the deviant remains silent. Moving on Connor unlaced his fingers, grabs the case folder, and opens it, displaying the images of the victim.

“Do you recognize him? Carlos Ortiz, your previous owner. Stabbed 28 times. That—” He moves the first set of photos to expose the set beneath it. Painted on the wall above the victim’s body, in what she assumes is his blood, are the words ‘I AM ALIVE’. “—was written on the wall. Can you tell me why you wrote this?” The suspect shifts in his seat just slightly. That’s the first time he’s moved since they started, and she can’t herself from smiling, knowing what Connor is doing is working.

‘ _Treating him like a human._ ’ She smirks realizing he’s doing just what she had recommended. Gene is no longer leaning against the wall. She has moved forward and is standing next to Hank, eyes fixated on the android detective as he talks. When talking to the deviant, his words hold a newfound sense of emotion that wasn’t there before. He seems almost human and she can’t help but marvel at what CyberLife was able to create.

“Listen, I’m on your side. I want to help you, but there is nothing I can do if you won't talk to me.” Everything about the way he talks exudes sincerity. Everything except his eyes, his eyes remain cold and detached. But even then, she almost finds herself believing his words. She remembers the days when Mia talked like that. She was far less advanced than Connor, but even despite her being a dated model, she still… She still changed.

The android blinks a few times and then slowly raises his gaze to meet Connors, eyes wide. He looks between him and the mirror frantically and finally, after what feels like an hour of questioning, speaks.

“What are they going to do to me? They’re gonna destroy me, aren’t they?” She lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and sees Reed smirk beside her. While she knows she should be happy that he’s talking, the quiver of his voice makes her heart clench.

“They’re going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents. They need to understand what happened, and that’s the only way.” Gene’s gut wrenches. Connor also seems upset but his own words, but the android's next words bring tears to her eyes.

“I don’t wanna die” He castes his chocolate eyes downward again seemingly receding into his silence. Connor notices this and quickly speaks. He keeps his voice soft but still firm.

“Then talk to me.” With that, the android begins to unravel. The three men around her all relax. They watch and listen as his story spills out of him like the damn that has finally broken. He talks about how he was abused every day and how he snapped out of fear for his own life. He even confirms her hypothesis about Carlos using a bat to attack him.

His words make her think of what Carl told her about Markus. They both had a high-stress event trigger their deviancy. Mia too. As the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place in her head, she turns to her fellow humans to gauge their expressions.

Miller looks extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation. He keeps glancing at the door as if waiting to escape. The other two have their eyes trained on the deviant, with solemn expressions. She had half expected Reed to be sneering again but is pleasantly surprised to see he had regained some sliver of human decency.

Connor continues questioning. Finding it hard to listen and knowing she can do nothing to change the androids fate she turns to leave, but she freezes upon hearing the android’s response to when Connor asks about some code, _RA9_.

“The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves. No more threats. No more humiliation. We will be the masters…” Her eyes grow wide, and although she's ashamed to admit it, she feels a twinge of fear shoot through her. His voice was so dark and forlorn, she can’t bring herself to look back. She quickly takes off her left glove, places her hand on the door’s hand scanner and exits the room.

Once the door shut behind her, she shuffles across the hall and leans against the wall opposite the interrogation door. Taking a few deep breaths, she tries to calm her nerves. Gene finds herself wondering what this all means. Most everyone wants to believe that androids are not people, that they're _not alive_. They want to believe that they are noting but machines, they _need_ to believe it. But she knows that's not true. At least, not for all of them.

At first, it was just Mia and the sincere love and care she has shown Gene. Then there’s Markus and his bond with Carl. And now, this poor android killed a man out of fear and anger. They can feel things. She knows it, but she doesn’t know what that means. For her or the world. And that scared her.

A few minutes later the interrogation door opens and out comes Connor.

“You finished?” He looks at her with those same blank eyes, but she can almost swear she saw a gleam of something familiar within them. For a second, she is reminded of Mia, but with the arrival of that cool and impartial voice, whatever she saw was gone.

“Yes Miss Knott, I have obtained all the information I could from the suspect.” She nods and the observation door opens. The three men file out the door and into the interrogation room. Reed shoots her a smirk.

“What happened Knott. Did the widdle robots stowy make you sad?” Her jaw tightens and she shoots him a glare, but he just snorts and continues into the room. “Chris, lock it up.”

Gene and Connor follow them into the room to watch as Miller nods and begins uncuffing the android. He goes to lead the android out, but he flinches away in fear.

“Leave me alone! Don’t touch me… please.” Miller, unsure of what to do, looks up and at the others in the room. Gene herself is unsure, but before she can say anything Reed speaks once again.

“What the fuck is it doing? Chris c’mon man.”

“I’m trying, but it won’t move.” Miller continues to try and pull the android from his seat, but he refuses and begins squirming making it harder for Miller to get a solid grip. They continue to struggle, and Gene finds herself looking to Connor. As is on cue, he speaks up.

“You shouldn’t touch it. It will self-destruct if it feels threatened.” Reed turns towards Connor as if he had just insulted his mother.

“Stay outta this. No fuckin’ android is gonna tell me what to do.” Chris continues to struggle with the android.

“Reed maybe you should liste—” Gene tries to intervene, but Reed cuts her off.

“Knott, if you don’t shut your fuckin’ mouth right now, so help me god, I with shut it for you.” Gene's mouth goes dry and she clenches her fists to stop herself from socking Reed right then and there. As Miller continues to wrestle, she can see the androids LED blinking red, probably indicating the raising level of stress. Connor tries again to reason with Reed.

“I don’t think you understand. If it self-destructs, we won’t get anything out of it!”

“I told you to shut the fuck up! Chris gonna move this asshole or what?” Reed shoves Connor back and stumbling straight towards Gene, nearly knocking her down. On instinct, she grabs the android’s shoulders to help him regain his footing. Once steady, he looks at her over his shoulder but quickly looks back forwards.

“I’m trying!” Fed up with this insanity Gene is about to move forwards and pull Miller away herself, but Connor is faster than her. He moves forward and swiftly pulls Miller away from the android.

“I said leave it alone, now!” The android, now free from Miller's grasp, tumbles back out of its chair and shuffles into the corner of the room.

“I warned you mother fucker!” Reed quickly draws his gun and points it at Connor's head. Gene's eyes go wide her mind begins to race.

 _‘What the actual fuck is going on.’_ Finally, after staying silent for so long, Hank decides to speak up.

“That’s enough.” His voice is firm and authoritative, but Reed doesn’t waver.

“I said that’s enough.” Hank then draws his own gun astonishing Gene. For a few seconds, all of them stand there frozen in time. Only the sound of Reeds haggard breathing breaking the silence. Finally, she snaps from her frozen bystander state and steps forward.

“What the fuck are you guys doing? Put your guns away, now!” They all glance at her, but Reed doesn’t move, so neither does Hank. Exasperated, she promptly marches forward towards Reed and Connor.

“What the fuck are yo-” Reed watches, baffled as she pushes Connor back and places herself between the two of them. The barrel of his gun is now aimed at the space right between her eyes, but she keeps her eyes locked with his.

“Put the gun away _right fucking now, or so help me_ , the chief hearing about this will be the least of your worries.” He glares at her, eyes aflame with rage, but she doesn’t waver. She glares right back at him daring him to make one wrong move.

“Fuck,” he lowers his gun, but his eyes remain trained on her. Hank also lowers his gun. “Fuck you, Knott. Fuck. You.” He gabs his pointer finger at her chest, but she doesn’t move. She just watches intensely as he turns and stalks out of the room. Once he’s gone, she takes a deep breath, trying to relieve the tension in her muscles. Connor is quick to turn back to the android.

“Everything is alright. It’s over now. Nobody is going to hurt you.” His voice is soft and reassuring. She smiles and nods in agreement. For the first time, the android looks at her and they make eye contact. Her smile falters slightly. She's unsure what to do, but the fear in his eyes quickly quenches the feeling. Her smile returns. While maintaining eye contact, she kneels a comfortable distance away from the android so as to avoid him feeling suffocated or trapped in any way.

“That’s right, no one is going to hurt you. I’m Detective Knott. I promise I won’t touch you, but I’m gonna need for you to follow me to the holding cell. Can you do that for me?” He stares at her unsure. She can feel the gazes of everyone in the room on her, but especially Connors. His gaze bores into her making her skin crawl, but she shrugs away the feeling. Finally, the android slowly nods, making her smile grow. She slowly raises. 

“Perfect. Do you need help standing?” He doesn’t answer but instead raises to his feet on his own. She moves away and towards the door waiting for him to follow. He does, but as he passes Connor, he says something she can’t quite make out. He doesn’t stop though. Connor’s brows furrow he watches the android follow Gene. Their eyes meet one final time for a split second before she smiles and turns to lead the android to one of the holding cells.

Once out in the hall, she can hear him mumbling something. She stops and turns back towards him, slightly concerned.

“They’re gonna take me…” It’s not a question but she finds herself answering anyway.

“I’m sorry there's nothing we can do. I wish there were…” He looks up at her. Eyes blank. She feels exposed under his gaze and can’t help but look away. Without touching him she reaches out and gestures for them to keep moving. He makes no move to resist, and they once again begin making their way to the holding cells.

The rest of their walk is quiet. A few officers watch them as they walk, but no one says anything. They get to the far holding cell and she ungloves her left hand to open the glass door.

“This is where you’ll be staying till… uhh. This is where you’ll be staying for now.” He glances at her once more but says nothing, his face is cold and devoid of any emotion. He begins to walk into the cell, but she holds out her hand to stop him.

“Wait, let me get those off you.” He watches her intently as she moves a bit into the cell and removes the cuffs from his wrists. As soon as his hands are free, without hesitation, he grabs her gun from her holster and is aiming it at her chest. Her eyes widen, and she freezes before slowly lifting her hands into the air.

“What are you doing? There is no way you are gonna get out of here alive. There are at least 20 armed officers in this room alone. Give me the gun.” Gene hears someone draw their gun off to the side and she glances over to see Hank and Connor. Hank has his gun out and aimed and is quickly advancing towards them, but where they are standing in the cell, they are protected by the bulletproof glass. No one will be able to get a line of sight on the android unless they are standing in the open doorway, but it's impossible to get there without the android having ample time to react in some way.

The android before her frantically look between her and the advancing lieutenant, LED flashing red. She holds out her hand motioning for Hank to stop and he does.

“Knott what the hell are you doing.” She shoots him her best reassuring smile before turning back to the android. She takes a deep breath before taking a step forward. Now the barrel of the gun is pressed against her sternum, and the android’s hands begin to shake. She hears some hushed yells behind her and assumes it’s Hank calling for back up.

“Don’t move, please.” The android's voice quivers and is barely louder than a whisper.

“Give me the gun, don’t make this worse than it already is.” She keeps her voice calm and her gaze locked with his. She can hear more scuffling of more officers arriving behind her. The android’s eyes become even more frantic as he looks at all the men surrounding them guns drawl.

“Don’t look at them, look at me. Okay? Just look at me. Hey, do you have a name?” His eyebrows knit together, and he stares at her baffled. Finally, he shakes his head, _no_.

“Alright well, you look like a Ben to me. Do you mind I call you Ben?” Slowly his face morphs into one of such intense sadness. Tears well in his eyes and his lips quiver, and he gives the smallest nod.

“Perfect, alright Ben everything is going to be okay. I can get you out of this, but you need to give me the gun. I know you've killed before, but I don't think you want to again. You're not a killer, are you Ben?” She can feel the gun drop ever so slightly against her chest.

“I just… I don’t want to die. I don’t wanna die.” He begins pleading with her saline tears streaming down his cheeks. Mixing in with the dry blood.

“Ben listen to me, okay. No one’s going to die. This is all just a big mistake. You’ve just got to give me that gun and then we can both walk away from this. After that, I promise I will do everything I can to help you.” Her words seem to reach him. Slowly he begins to nod and lowering the gun.

“I'm alive! I don’t wanna die.” She nods and begins reaching for the gun slowly.

“I know Ben. I know you are.” Just as she is about to grab the gun from grasp a scuffle behind them startles Ben. He jumps back and pulls the gun away from her. His glossy eyes grow wide in fear, as he looks behind her. In a slip second, his eyes are back on her and a sliver of a smile peeks out from behind the wide eyes and bloody tears.

“We are alive.” His voice is barely above a whisper, but she hears it loud as day. What she doesn't notice is her own yell or how she’s dashing forward reaching for him as he turns the gun on himself. She’s mere inches away from reaching his hand when he places the barrel under his chin and pulls the trigger.

She freezes as the shot rings through her ears. Blue blood splatters over her face and clothes. Even as Ben’s body falls to the ground. She hears the shouts and the shuffling of people behind her, but she just stands there wide-eyed and frozen. 

“He was going to give it back…” She mutters to herself, but no one hears her. She can’t tear her gaze from Ben’s wide eyes. _He was going to give it back_.

Finally, the feeling of hands on her shoulders yanking her back snaps her from her daze. Hank flips her around and begins assessing her for any injury. She sees Connor just outside of the cell looking strangely concerned, almost human-like. His brown eyes capture her attention and she find herself staring into them until Hank rips her attention away from the android.

“Jesus Christ Gene! Are you alright? Fuck. What were you thinking?” She doesn’t respond. Only watches as other officers advance closer. As they move in it feels like the walls are closing in on her. Her chest becomes tight, she finds it hard to breath and can feel the bile rise in her throat. “Fuck guys! Stand back, will you! Give her some room to breathe.” Hank yells and thankfully the other officers listen. They slowly step back. All except for Conner. Her eyes meet his once again and she imagines how her blank gaze might make him feel. Does he feel how she felt when she saw his cold stare? What is he feeling right now…?

“Miss Knott your heart rate is extremely elevated. I believe you are in shock.” Hank shoots him a glare but quickly returns his gaze to Gene.

“No shit sherlock. Hey kid… Gene, look at me.” Despite his calming voice, her gaze remains focused on Connor. More specifically the yellow light of his LED. subconsciously her breathing begins to slow and fall into time with the oscillating glow of the ring.

“ _Don’t worry I’m right here._ ” Mia’s voice flutters into her head and finally, the spell is broken. She blinks a bit and touches her gloved finger to her cheek. It comes away covered in a blue liquid.

“I… I’m fine. I’m fine.” She shrugs Hank's hands off her shoulders and turns back towards the android’s body. She pauses for a split second before moving closer and kneeling to retrieve her firearm from his grip. As she does, her eyes land on his face. Amongst the tears and multiple colors of blood, a sad smile remains frozen on his face. She can see the hole where the bullet entered his skull, with blue liquid is dripping from it. Her stomach flips and she can barely keep herself from throwing up. Taking deep breaths, she reaches out her quivering hand and closes his eyelids.

“I’m sorry.” She says in a hushed voice before grabbing her gun and standing.

“Miss Knott, I would recommend you go to the hospital.” She ignores Connor and delicately engages the gun’s safety before wiping the blue blood on her gun off on her jeans. She holsters her weapon and turns back to the crowd, keeping her expression even.

“I’m fine I’m going to head home and take a shower. I think it's fair to say that someone else gets to handle this mess.” She tries to walk past Hank, but he reaches out and grasps her shoulder, stopping her.

“You sure your good kid.” She isn’t. Her stomach feels as though it’s turning inside out, and her head is spinning but she ignores it all. Gene forces a smile and nods. She pats his hand before gingerly lifting it off her shoulder.

“I’m fine lieutenant, just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, she walks back into the hallway, the crowd of shocked officers’ part as she advances. Her expression is blank as passes them; she’s focused on getting out of this hell as fast as she can. Reed is standing near the edge of the group. He looks just as shocked as the rest of them, but she ignores him and presses on. Quickly grabbing her satchel from her desk, she exits the bullpen and heads out into the front lobby

There is no one besides the security and reception androids in the out there luckily. The twisting in her stomach gets worse and she finds herself sprinting past all the chairs and out the front doors. Once outside, she makes a shape turn towards the trash can that sits adjacent to the building doors and empties her guts. Her throat burns as the turkey sandwich which she ate for lunch earlier in the day passes up and out.

She can feel tears trickling down her cheeks as she takes deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Once she feels like she not going to return to vomit town she swipes away the tears with the sleeve of her jacket but doing so smears blue blood into the fibers of the fabric.

“Fuck.” The sight sends her into a fit of dry heaving. Bile burns like hell and she spits a few times trying to get rid of the horrible taste it left in her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a plastic water bottle being extended towards her. Looking up she is surprised to see it is Connor who has come to her aid. His demeanor seems a bit different from before. His shoulders are less ridged and that gleam she saw earlier is back. 

“Thank you…” She takes the bottle and opens it. Taking a swig, she swishes it around before spitting it out into the trash can and taking an actual drink.

“That looked unpleasant.” She laughs halfheartedly and takes a few more swigs of water.

“You mean throwing up or the guy blowing his brains out right in front of me?” Connor freezes seemingly unsure of how to respond. His LED flashes red before switching to a solid yellow. She smiles apologetically. “Sorry ignore me. It’s been a rough night.” He nods awkwardly but his light remains yellow. He seems conflicted...

“You dropped this inside.” He holds up his hand and in his grasp is her left glove. Surprised she hadn’t noticed it missing sooner she tosses the now empty water bottle into the trash can beside them and plucks the glove from his grasp. She doesn’t put it back on immediately like Connor expects her to. Instead, she stares at it, rubbing the worn leather between her fingers.

“Did Hank send you?” She slides the glove back onto her hand with ease and looks up at him. It’s then that she finally notices how tall he is. She’s by no means a short girl. Standing around 5.8, she is taller than most women, but from the way he towers over her, he must be at least 6 foot. 

“No. He was busy _cleaning up the mess_ , as you put it.” She chuckles, imagining how annoyed the silver-haired lieutenant must be. Her stomach and head are still reeling but her discomfort slowly seems to be lessening.

“Miss Knott, I recognize that you do not want to, but I highly recommend you go to a hospital. It is unwise to go through such an experience without receiving a thorough examination and treatment.” She pauses then realizing just who she’s talking to. The android before her perplexes her to say the least. At first, he seemed like most other androids, but then he is able to become convincingly emotive and sincere on command. Now here he is looking genuinely concerned for her wellbeing, to say she is perplexed is an understatement. She simply doesn't know what to think. Is he simply a masterpiece of software engineering, or something more? And why does he care about her condition?

“Connor, why are you here?” His eyebrow draws together, and he looks at her for a second saying in that inexpressive monotone voice,

“I am an android sent by CyberLife to help Lieutenant Anderson in his investigation.” She sighs and shakes her head. Taking a step closer to him, she locks eyes with him and asks again.

“No, why are you _here_?” He frowns and his expression morphs into one of confusion. She can almost see the gears of code turning in his head trying to decipher what she means.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean detective…” A sad smile works its way onto her lips as she steps back, shaking her head. She can’t ignore the slight tinge of disappointment she feels. Perhaps he truly is just a masterpiece, but perhaps in the future that could change.

“Never mind, forget I said anything. Anyway, don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. The only treatment I need right now is a nice hot shower and a one-way ticket to bed. Goodnight Connor.” She shoots him one last smile before turning and walking off towards her car.

“Goodnight Miss Knott.”

It's 2 am when she gets back. As she walks in the door, she gingerly hangs her satchel on their coat rack, slips off her sneakers, and tiptoes into the loft. Mias in her workshop as always. Upon seeing the android hunched over her workbench and engrossed in her latest project, Gene feels a strong need to rush in and hug her. She takes a few steps forward but stops after catching a glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror. She’s normally extremely pale already, but the woman staring back at her looks like the undead. Her coppery curls are unruly, and blue blood is smeared all over her.

She quickly swivels around and heads straight into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She quickly starts by removing her badge and gun—which she refuses to look at for more than a split second— and then moves onto discarding her clothes. Flipping on the hot water she jumps and lets the water rush over her before it has even warmed up. All she wants it to wash away the events of that night. She can feel tears welling in her eyes again but a soft knock at the door startles her into wiping them away.

“Gene, are you alright?” Mia's voice is hushed from beyond the door, but she can hear the worry in it. She could understand why Mia was worried. She had arrived home way past her initial estimate and then immediately got into the shower without so much as a hello.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wanted to get a shower before headin’ to bed. Sorry for interrupting your work." 

“Do you want me to make you some food?” She doesn’t sound very convinced, but again, Gene isn't surprised. It’s obvious something is wrong with her. She almost says yes just to try and reassure Mia but just the thought of food makes her stomach seize up again.

“No, I’m good. Thanks though.” She hears a soft ‘okay’, and then Mia’s footsteps walking away. She sighs and looks down, watching the blue water flow down her prosthetic legs and swirls around her porcelain white toes before going down the drain. She stays like that, just standing there watching until the water is almost clear. Then she reaches for the bar of soap and a washcloth and begins thoroughly scrubbing every inch of her body. 

Once she finishes and has nearly scrubbed her skin raw, she shuts off the water and pulls back the curtain. Without a change of clothes, she just grabs a towel to wraps herself in and throws her dirty clothes into the hamper, she would deal with them later. For now, she's too tired. She skips her hair care routine entirely, knowing full well she'll regret it in the morning, and heads out of the bathroom and upstairs.

As she passes the workshop, she mumbles a quick goodnight to Mia and heads up to her room. Mia debates going up to see what's wrong but decides against it. Sometimes we just need some alone time. That is until she hears sobs coming from the bedroom 20 minutes later.

As soon as she notices the noise, she tiptoes up the stairs to find Gene on her bed, a soggy weeping mess. She’s huddled deep under her covers, with her still soaking wet hair is all over her face. Mia silently crawls onto the bed beside the crying girl and pulls her into a gentle embrace. Gene welcomes her, curling into the android's motherly embrace immediately. Her sobs grow even louder as she lets free not all the emotions she’s been holding back, not just from the past few hours, but the past 2 months.

For the next hour, neither of them says anything. Mia asks no questions, and Gene offers no explanation. Instead, they lay in silence as the android holds her little girl, brushing back her wild curls when they fall into her face.

Eventually, Gene’s sobs turn to shaky breaths and silent tears, and then finally into a dreamless slumber.


	4. Good Morning Chief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gene heads back into the DPD only to be called into the Chief's office along with her favorite lieutenant and android detective. Something doesn't feel right, but unsure of just what, Gene sticks to doing what she does best. Her job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! Here's the next chapter I really hope you like it. I have really enjoyed writing this so far and I would love to hear what you guys think while reading it. I'm really trying to put effort into showing how torn Gene is around the whole android situation, but its proving to be a little more difficult than I expected. 
> 
> Anyways, love you all!  
> Enjoy! ♥  
> Bissle.

**[November 6 th, 2038]**

**Connor**

LOCATION: ZEN GARDEN …

ESTABLISHING CONNECTION…

LOADING…

LOADING…

CONNECTION CONFIRMED…

Even before opening his eyes, Connor is surprised by the ambient noises all around him. The Zen Garden is a Digital Hub designed by CyberLife. Besides transforming with the seasons and weather, the environment remains unchanged in almost every way. Despite this, he is sure he has never taken notice of the sounds of chirping birds or the babbling of the water.

He pauses for a second, analyzing the new stimuli. But after determining that these atmospheric details are irrelevant to his mission, he disregards them and searches the lush garden landscape for Amanda.

He catches sight of her on the central isle, tending to her roses. He promptly makes his way over one of the four bridges which connects the isle to the rest of the garden. He stops a few feet behind her, smiling.

“Hello, Amanda.” She turns and greets him with a smile, but quickly turns back to her roses and continues snipping them, one by one.

“Connor, it’s good to see you. I imagine finding that deviant and getting information out of it couldn’t have been an easy task. You’ve done well.”

“Thank you, Amanda” She pauses and glances back at him.

“It’s a shame the android was lost before it could be examined by our people… Tell me, what did you think of the deviant?”

“It was interesting. The deviant showed signs of PTSD after being abused. It’s as if its original program had been completely replaced. It also seemed to have a strange connection to Detective Knott. It seemed to trust her. I regret not being able to observe them more.” She pauses garden sheers held mid-cut, considering his words.

“Speaking of, tell me Connor, this Lieutenant Anderson, what do you think of him?” She keeps her back turned, but he can tell that she is paying close attention to what he says. Analyzing every word, looking for any sign of weakness.

“I think he’s… irritable, socially challenged, but he used to be a good detective. Building a positive working relationship with him will be helpful to the investigation.” She sets down her gardening shears and turns to fully face him.

“And the female detective? Miss Imogene Knott.” Connor pauses unsure of how to respond. He’s hesitance seems to confirm whatever Amanda was thinking at that moment. She turns and plucks up one of her trimmed roses, twirling it between her fingers and watching as its petals sway.

“You have a mission, Connor. You are our last hope in fixing this mess, and if we don’t fix this soon, the consequences will be disastrous.” She signs and tosses the rose into the water of the river. He detects a tonal shift in her speech and identifies a hint of mistrust within her voice.

“Don’t worry Amanda. You can count on me.” She nods and begins to walk away, pausing and turning back just before stepping foot on the bridge.

“No distractions Connor. No mistakes.”

Dismissed, his vision fades to black.

LEAVING: ZEN GARDEN…

* * *

**Imogene**

Most days Gene wakes up at 6 am and is at the precinct by 8, but after the night she had, she sleeps right through her alarm. Normally she would freak out after waking up at 8, but today she couldn’t be bothered to.

Emotionally drained and barely managing to get out of bed, she opts to take her precious time getting ready. She knows no one will dare say anything about her being late after the events of last night.

Looking into the abyss of her closet, for a second, she feels slightly overwhelmed. Then deciding today is a definite all-black day, she reaches for a pair of black jeans, a black V-neck blouse, and her signature silver buckle belt. She tucks the shirt into her jeans and secures her belt in place before going to grab her favorite green jacket, only to remember that the dirty coat is currently in the hamper of dirty clothes downstairs. With a sigh, she grabs her slightly oversized camel blazer and closes the closet doors.

Gene had felt how wiry her hair was while putting her clothes on. She knew she would regret not doing her normal hair care after taking a shower last night, but she was not prepared to see a fiery ball of frizz and knots when she looked into her mirror.

Her copper curls are normally pretty tame, but right now they are an utter mess. She spends a good 5 minutes just working the tangles out of her hair and then another 20 minutes trying to pull the hair into different styles, but everything she tries just ends up a tangled mess.

Finally, giving up, she settles for straightening her fringe and pulling the rest of her hair into a messy top knot. It’s nowhere near as clean and kempt as she normally wears it, but she honestly can’t be bothered to try anymore. She throws on some blush, eyeliner, and mascara, and then goes to grab her sidearm and badge.

She plucks up her badge and clips it to her belt like usual, but the sight of her gun brings back images of Ben’s lifeless eyes, of the gun barrel being pressed against his chin. His bloodied form sprawled out on the concrete. She takes a deep breath, pushes the images away, and grabs the gun. She clips it to her belt and slips on her gloves. She takes one last look at herself in the mirror before heading out her door and down the stairs.

Upon entering the kitchen, she spots a breakfast plate waiting for her on the counter. She can’t help but smile as she sits down to eat. While she eats Mia comes out from her workshop and sits on the couch.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened last night or are we going to pretend you didn’t spend a good portion of the night crying in my arms.” Gene shoots her an apologetic smile before shoveling more food into her mouth.

“I’m going to have to go with the latter.” Mia is not pleased with that response. But she doesn’t press it.

“Well if you change your mind, I’m here.” Guilt blooms in Gene’s chest as she swallows the last of her breakfast. Quietly she picks up her dishes, rinses them, and places them in the dishwasher. Once done with that, she turns to face Mia who is already looking at her, eyes full of worry.

‘ _Of course, she’s worried. You sobbed in her arms all night without telling her why!_ ’ She scolds herself.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want to talk about it. I promise I’ll tell you one day, just not today.” She sighs but nods in understanding.

“Teas already brewed. You should get to work, your already an hour and 34 minutes late. Traffic is light though, so you should get there within 15 minutes.” A smile spreads across Gene’s face. 

The android’s traffic report reminds her of the days when Mia used to wake her with a full weather report. Of course, that was before she deviated, but the memories are still funny. Grabbing the travel mug Gene sends a grateful smile Mia's way. The android is too good for her, and she truly makes the best chai tea, with the perfect ratio of hazelnut creamer and tea. Truly and angel.

“Thanks, weather lady. I’ll see you later tonight.” She begins heading for the door, but Mia calls out one last time.

“Oh, just so you know I’m going to make a trip to the store later. Need to pick somethings up. And before you even try, no I can go alone. I’ll be fine.” As she predicted, Gene swivels around to protest, but Mia’s hard glare stops her.

“Fine, just be sure to call me if anything happens, okay?” Mia nods before looking away and turning on the TV, thus ending the conversation.

With that Gene heads down the hall towards the front door. She bends down and retrieves some black ankle-high booties from the shoe basket and slips them on. Lastly, she grabs her satchel from where it hangs on the coat rack and heads out the door.

Mia was right about the traffic, as always. Gene makes it to the precinct and parks just past 10 am, but instead of exiting the car immediately, she remains seated. Her chest tightens as she looks out the window at the brick and mortar police department. She sits there for a moment taking deep breaths just to work up the nerve to open the car door and head into the building.

It takes a bit, but once she makes the first step, the tightness of her chest begins to lessen. The feeling doesn’t leave her fully, but with each step, it fades more and more.

Walking through the glass security doors, she had expected the room to feel… different. But she’s relieved to be met with the regular hustle and bustle of the bullpen. Uniforms are packed into the conference room for a briefing. Miller is sitting at his desk conversing with Reed, and through the glass walls of the chief’s office, she can see him sitting at his desk looking perturbed as always.

As she makes her way to her desk, she’s greeted with a few _hellos_ by some officers, others can’t seem to hide their curious glances.

‘ _Okay, not everything is normal._ ’ She ignores them all and tosses her bag onto a stack of case files. Plopping down into her chair, she takes a swig of her tea before logging into her terminal and seeing if she has been assigned and new cases.

“Good morning Detective Knott.” Almost as soon as she sits Connor appears beside her desk with a charming smile. She can’t help but wonder how she had not noticed him when she entered the bullpen.

“Good morning, Connor. You don’t have to call me that by the way, just Gene is fine.” His LED flashes yellow for a second and he nods.

“Alright, Gene. Do you know when Lieutenant Anderson will arrive?” She chuckles and swivels in her chair to face him fully. Seeing how stiffly Connor stands, with his back straight as a board, makes her smile grow even larger.

“So that’s why you’re here… Depends, normally he’s here by lunch, but after last night… Who knows?” His smile falls and is replaced with a cute frown.

‘ _No, not cute!_ ’ She mentally scolds herself.

“Is this a habit of Lieutenant Anderson’s? It seems quite unprofessional.” Now it’s her turn to frown. She’s never approved of Hank's behavior, but ever since the accident he hasn’t been the same. It doesn’t take a detective to see that he’s still struggling.

“Hanks… a complicated man, Connor. Sure, he may have a bad temper and is always late, but he’s a good guy and he was… is a good lieutenant.” By the way his LED flashes yellow and his eyebrows furrow, Gene can tell she has accomplished nothing but confusing the android. Deciding against explaining further, she sighs and forces a smile back to her face.

“Anyway, since he won’t be here for a while, you’re welcome to hang around over here, even got a chair for ya.” She motions to the chair sitting next to her desk before turning to her terminal. Connor smiles and nods.

“Thank you.” He takes a seat and silence overtakes them. While Gene feels the awkward need to keep talking, Connor hardly seems to mind the quiet.

Out of the corner of her, she can see him pull a silver coin from his jacket pocket. He begins flicking it between his hands and intricately maneuvering it between his knuckles. Even as he performs such precise and delicate tricks, she can see him curiously looking over her desk.

“How long have you been a detective Gene?” She stops typing and shoots him a smirk.

“Don’t you have some database in that head of yours that tells you things like that?” He shrugs but presses on.

“I do, but I believe it would be conducive to the investigation if I were to foster positive relations with the people I will be working with. A good way to do that is by talking with them.” Gene snorts but can’t help but agree.

“Well, I went to the police academy right after I turned 18. Joined the DPD 2 years later and worked my way up. Became a detective last year.” Obviously, he knew all of that, but he still gives an amiable nod before continuing to survey her desk. She notices his eyes focus on a specific point, and she looks to see his eyes are trained on the photo of her and Mia hugging at her police academy graduation. His LED flashes yellow and her pleasant mood is replaced instantly by blooming nerves.

“You seem close to your android.” She notices a tonal shift in his voice. It’s still warm, but it feels more machine-like.

“Eh… yeah, I guess we are, she’s been around for a long time.”

“So, you still have it? What’s did you name it?” Gene is hesitant to answer but she does anyway.

“Yes… Her name is Mia.” Connor seems to notice her discomfort. He frowns a bit and his voice returns to being more friendly and personable.

“My apologies Gene, I did not mean to be unpleasant. I was just curious. You have a way of interacting with androids that is… different from most humans. I thought it might have something to do with your android.” Her nerves begin to settle a bit as she unconsciously tugs at her right glove. An action that doesn’t go unnoticed by Connor.

“It’s alright, I understand. You’re a curious guy, I get it. I guess you could say it’s because of Mia. She’s been around for almost as long as I can remember. So, I’m pretty used to her.”

“I’m not a _guy,_ Gene.” Had it not been for his almost playful tone, Gene would have been quite annoyed by this statement, but it feels as though he’s joking, and she finds herself chuckling.

“You could have fooled me.” He grins and opens his mouth to respond but stops when he sees Hank walk into the room.

“Excuse me,” She nods as he quickly stands from his chair and makes his way towards Hank. “Lieutenant Anderson! Good morning sir.”

“Oh, for fucks sake.” She smirks as she watches the interaction between the two. Just when she’s about to turn back to her terminal the chief comes out of his glass office and calls out.

“Anderson, Knott. Office now!”

‘ _Fuuuuuck…_ ’ With a sigh Gene stands from chair and takes off towards the chief’s office, dreading what it is he has in store for her.

Despite her being further away, it is Gene who walks into the office first. She’s followed closely by Hank who she assumed purposefully came in second. Connor comes in last, closing the door behind him. She’s not sure why the android follows, but she doesn’t question it. She and Hank sit in the chairs directly across from the big guy's desk, and Connor stands a bit behind them.

“Good morning Chief.” She tries her darndest to keep her voice chipper so as to hopefully alleviate the chief’s perpetual bad mood, but it backfires immediately. His eyes shoot up from his screen and he shoots her a warning glance.

“Don’t ‘good morning’ me Knott. What the hell happened last night? I came in this morning to learn that not only did two my guys threaten to shoot each other over and android, but that said android shot himself in his cell after holding my best detective at gunpoint. I just got off a call with CyberLife execs and they are this close to demanding your badge! So, for the love of God, _do not_ ‘good morning’ me?” She can’t help but avert her eyes in shame, like a child being scolded. It’s Hank who shoots back.

“What can I say, we had an eventful night.” Her eyes go wide and she shoots Hank a sideways glance as if to say ‘what the fuck are you doing?’, but he either doesn’t see it or ignores her, instead opting to lean back leisurely in his chair.

“Shut up, Hank. I’m talking to the girl.”

‘The girl’ _._ His choice in word simultaneously shoots fire into Gene’s veins but also makes her want to fade away into her chair. She tried to ignore both and straightens her back to stand her ground.

“Sir, we were simply doing a routine questioning of the suspect. Afterward, when trying to escort the suspect to the holding cell, he resisted. The situation… escalated and Reed pulled a gun on Connor,” She quickly gestures towards said android before continuing.

“Hank reacted and while I do not approve of how I stand by him. Reed was in the wrong. We were able to deescalate the situation, and I offered to escort Ben...the android.” She stutters after her slip up, but she sees no reaction from the chief or Hank, so she continues. “As I was removing his restraints, he pulled my gun. He was about to give it back, but something startled him… He got scared and well… It was my fault. I should have had a second and followed proper procedure.”

As she explains the creases in the chief’s forehead deepen. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Knott, you are one of my best detectives, you know that.” She nods, eyes cast down. “But the mistake you made last night was a big one. I can’t just ignore it. You’re removed from all current cases, effective immediately.” She’s stunned. Never once has she had any disciplinary problems before, but now she is basically on probation _._

Even Hank, with his book of disciplinary actions, has only been on probation once. She doesn’t know what to think. While she remains quiet its Hank who jumps out of his chair.

“What the fuck Jeffery? That makes no fucking sense! You said so yourself, she’s one of, if not the best detective you got. One mistake and your gonna what, put her on desk duty? Do you hear yourself?” The chief just shakes his head and points for Hank to sit.

“Shut the fuck up, sit down, and listen.” Hank doesn’t seem all that willing to _shut the fuck up and listen_ , but when he feels a tug on his sleeve and turns to see a resigned Gene motioning for him to sit, he does so. Not without a huff of frustration of course.

“I’m getting more and more reports of android assaults and homicides like the one last night. This has gone beyond simply misplaced or stolen androids. We have a problem, and it is now a criminal investigation. Hank, you will lead this investigation. This android will act as your partner. Knott, you will act as his second.”

So, she wasn’t on probation? This whole situation perplexed Gene. In no way is anything the chief is saying regular DPD procedure. Something feels off, but she doesn’t know what. Instead of questioning, Gene nods and turns to Hank. Upon seeing his furious gaze trained on the chief she sighs and sits back in her chair.

‘ _Oh boy, here we go._ ’ Immediately Hank is up in arms about the whole situation. She listens as the two of them argue to the point of outright yelling at each other. Connor appears completely unaffected by the shouting and cursing taking place before them. His face remains neutral as he watches the two men.

Unsure of what to do besides sit and listen, she shoots him an awkward glance. He catches her gaze and offers her a soft reassuring smile. She grins back and for a second the yelling grows a little quieter, and she can breathe easy again. Then that second is over, and his gaze returns to the two men. 

“I’ve had just about enough of your bitching, alright! Either you do your job, or you turn in your badge. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. Knott,” She straightens up in attention. “Make sure he doesn’t break that thing. You’re all dismissed.” Hank is the first to storm out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Gene stands and gives a curt nod to the chief, before heading for the door. Connor is already there holding it open for her. She quietly thanks him as she leaves the room.

“Are you alright detective? That seemed to be quite unpleasant, but I’m happy to be working with you.” She stops at the base of the stairs leading to the Chief's office, Connor right behind her. He sounds genuine and somehow that alone makes her feel slightly better, but only slightly. This case is still shaping up to be… Interesting at the very least.

“Are you?” She turns to look at him. Once again, his brows furrow in confusion. She shakes her head dismissively. “Never mind that. Anyway, I think you’ll come to learn most things in life are _unpleasant,_ but yeah, I’m fine. I’m used to the bureaucracy.” She tries to keep her tone cheerful but it’s obvious that she is slightly agitated by the situation. “Anyway, you can head over to Hank’s desk and talk to him, there should be an empty desk next to his that you can use. I’m going to grab my tablet and then I’ll meet you over there.”

Connor hesitates before nodding and heading off.

“Oh, and Connor,” He stops and turns back towards her. “Be careful what you say to Hank. He’s not one to be messed with when he’s like this.” He raises an eyebrow but nods again in understanding.

She watches for a moment as he approaches Hank. He begins talking to the man, but Hank childishly swivels in his chair away from Connor. Gene can’t help but let out a perturbed breath. She quickly heads back to her desk and grabs her tablet from where it is hidden under all her old files.

Before walking away, she pauses. She sets the tablet down once again and begins collecting all her case-related files and papers into a tall pile. She swiftly opens the bottom drawer of her desk and drops the stack in before slamming it shut. With that done, Gene plucks up her tablet and heads back towards her partners.

As she walks, she turns on her tablet and begins looking through all the documented deviant cases from the past 9 months. She’s looked at these files at least a hundred times. In fact, many of them were her cases in the past. She knows most of them by heart now, but as she goes through the most recent cases, she forces herself to try and look at them with new eyes, to see what it is she could have missed.

As she reaches her partners’ desk, they both are quiet, Hank is brooding off to the side as expected, and Connor seems to be doing the same thing she is. There is a chair across from Hank’s desk she could sit in, but Gene opts to hop up on the edge of Connor’s empty desk. He glances at her but says nothing and shows no signs of disapproval, so she stays seated on his desk.

His gaze returns to his terminal. The silence continues for a moment longer before he breaks it.

“243 files dating back 9 months.” She nods. For a moment she considers whether she should share her knowledge, she can’t help but question what their end goal is. In the end, she pushes the moral quandary aside and speaks up.

“Started as mostly small things, androids having _melt-downs_ before disappearing or being wiped. Quickly escalated though. Soon enough we’re getting assaults… and now homicides. I’ve been following the cases for a while. There seems to be a trend throughout. Most of the androids in these cases had some sort of emotional trigger, a breaking point brought on by stress that makes them deviate.”

As she talks Connor listens intently, nodding along. Hank on the other hand barely seems to be paying attention at all. Instead, he sits with his head propped up by his hand, staring off in the other direction

“I would have to agree. It appears an AX400 assaulted their owner and kidnapped a young girl last night. That might be a good place to start.” Genes eyebrows furrow.

“That doesn’t make sense, that android assaulted him and then kidnapped his daughter? That’s never happened before.” Hank shrugs, and she turns back to her tablet to get more info on the case.

“Alice Williams, the victim's 9-year-old daughter. She was last seen with the model AX400, which they named Kara, getting on a bus at the stop near her home. Looks the guy left his contact info we should set up and interview.”

Connor agrees and Gene shoots Hank a questioning glance, but he remains unmoving. “Well…I’m gonna go give this guy a call, see if I can’t get him to come in. Don’t have to much fun while I’m gone.”

Connor frowns slightly confused. She laughs and hops down from his desk. “I’ll be right back.” With that, she heads off towards the back hallway which leads to the interrogation room and bathrooms, it's quieter back there.

Leaning against the way, she pulls out her phone and calls the number left on the report. Pushing call, she waits, listening. It rings and rings until finally, she cancels the call. She decides to try one more time for good measure, but the same happens again.

“Goddammit…” Deciding that they’ll just have to go in person to question the guy, she heads back to the others. As she turns the corner into the bullpen, she can see across the room, Connor is now standing next to Hank. From the way Hank is remaining turned away from Connor, she gets the feeling that leaving them alone may not have been the best idea. She picks up the pace when she sees Connor lean down and say something to Hank.

‘ _Uh oh…_ ’ Hank stands and swivels around on the android. Gripping Connor by the collar he shoves him up against the glass wall behind his desk. Gene runs up, hearing the tail end of whatever Hank was saying.

“So, stop pissing me off… Or things are going to get nasty.”

“Hank let him go.” She keeps her voice level trying not to let her annoyance overtake her. Neither of them moves until Hank finally releases Connor, pushing him into the glass one more time for good measure.

“I’m gone for less and a few minutes and you’re already threatening him?” Hank plops back down in his chair and she shoots him a glare before looking towards Connor. “You alright Connor?” He nods and moves to stand next to her.

“Thank you, detective, but I am quite alright. I was designed to be durable.”

“Keep that plastic fucker away from me.” Gene’s composer snaps and she slams her hands down on his desk.

“Fucking hell Hank! We have a job to do alright. I where you're coming from! I do, but we have no choice. I need you to grow a pair and start acting like the lieutenant I know and respect. Because right now all I see is a belligerent man child.”

He says nothing in response, instead, he just glowers at her, and she glowers back. Its Connor who breaks their tense silence.

“Did you call the victim?” She nods, breaking eye contact with the man. Still fuming, she grabs her tablet from where she threw it on his desk and pulls up the address.

“Yeah, but he didn’t answer, we might as well go see him in person. You good with that Hank?” The man huffs in response but stands. “Great then let’s head out. We can take my car. It’s only a—”

Before she could finish Miller speaks up from behind her.

“Lieutenant, Detective. The AX400 that attacked that guy last night has been sighted in the Ravendale district.”

“With the girl?” She asks. Miller nods and Hank pushes past her, heading for the door.

“Alright. Knott, you and the tin can go to the vic’s house. I’ll go check out this sighting.” Before she can say anything, Connor speaks up.

“Lieutenant, I think it would be better for me to go to the sighting. You could use my expertise while looking for the android.” Hank sighs but doesn’t protest. Throwing his hands up in the air, he continues towards the door.

“Whatever, I’m leaving.” Connor sends her a polite smile and nods goodbye before following.

“Great. Thanks, partner. I really love working with you too.” She goes back to desk mumbling her many grievances, grabs her stuff and heads out to her own car

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note, from now till the end I'm going to try my darndest to upload once every 3 days. Will I keep up with that? I don't know. We'll have to wait and see. But I will try to.
> 
> Bissle♥


	5. Corktown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to go with a shorter chapter this time. I just feel like I write really long chapters normally and so I decided to separate this one into two. I'm just trying to gauge that sweet spot for length right now, which is hard when I have so much I want to fit in each chapter.
> 
> Anyway, warning! I do mention and cover aspects of abuse in this chapter. Despite the being no explicit actions of abuse I still wanted to let you guys know. 
> 
> Enjoy,  
> Bissle♥

**Imogene**

Corktown Detroit is not the nicest neighborhood, but there are hardly any ‘nice’ neighborhoods left. Trash litters the unkempt streets and the houses are all worn down. The looming threat of rain just adds to the overall depressing sight.

Gene’s car pulls up and parks between a bus stop and a worn black truck. Running the truck through the police database on her tablet tells her that it is registered to her vic, Todd Williams.

Getting out of her car, she notices its beginning to sprinkle.

“Great, more rain.” She sighs before heading up the pavement to the front porch.

The house is old, the ash white paint is chipping, and the windows are foggy with age. Walking up to the door, forming her hand into a fist she knocks a few times.

“Mr. Williams? This is Detective Knott from the DPD! I’m here to ask you a few questions about last night.” She calls loudly but doesn’t yell so as to not disturb the neighborhood too much.

She waits but there is no response. She tries again but this time using the doorbell.

“Mr. Williams! Anyone home?”

She can hear the shrill of the bell inside but still no response. Looking through the window of the door she can barely make out the outline of an archway leading into what she thinks is the kitchen, but she sees no sign of Todd.

She jiggles the door handle, but it’s locked. Moving to her right she bends down to look through the bay window overlooking the porch and front yard. The curtains are drawn but a large tear in the yellowed fabric allows her to peek into the room.

She sees the corner of a coffee table. Beer bottles are scattered over the ground, some shattered. Looking a bit closer she can see the outline of someone’s legs poking out from behind an overturned recliner. She tires knocking on the window, seeing if the noise will stir them.

“Mr. Williams are you alright?”

From the position of the feet, it looks like he is lying face down on the ground behind the chair.

“Fuck,” She taps her TRE, connecting to dispatch. “This is Detective Knott. I have visual on an unconscious man inside his home. I’m gonna need an ambulance ASAP. Gonna attempt to gain entry and assess his condition.”

Without waiting for a response Gene stands and readies herself to break the window. She moves to the side and draws her arm up so her left elbow is positioned against the glass. Supporting with her right arm, she draws back her elbow and hits it against the center of the glass pane.

It shatters, and thanks to the thickness of her coat, she receives no cuts and feels only the shock of the initial hit run through her. Swiping away some of the shards she slowly and carefully crawls through the broken window.

Even with all the noise she has made, Todd doesn’t stir. Ignoring the fact that the house is in shambles with objects thrown around all over, she quickly makes her way around the overturned table and into the living room where Todd is unconscious.

“Mr. Williams, can you hear me?” She kneels and rolls him over.

Removing her left glove, she checks his neck for a pulse. It's faint but it’s there. Examining him further she notices the bluish hue his lips and skin are taking on.

“Shit shit shit!” Her heart begins to race, and her mind goes into overdrive.

Faint breathing, weak pulse, bluish flush. She concludes that he must have overdosed on something. She’s quick to get back on her TRE, updating the dispatcher and telling them to hurry up the ambulance.

She quickly begins positioning Todd’s body so as to ensure his breathing isn’t obstructed in any way. As she moves his had she spots a pipe laying a few feet away with red powder dusted around it. Red ice.

“Fuck.”

Again, she gets on her TRE and updates the dispatcher, but this time requests backup officers to search the house for any more of the drug.

Soon enough she hears the wails of the ambulance siren. She quickly stands and goes to unlock the front door and go out into the rain to direct them to Todd.

The paramedics and their androids work fast. The two men exit the ambulance immediately and head into the house behind her. Two MC500s follow closely behind with a stretcher. As soon as she leads them in and informs them of the Red Ice she found, she steps back and allows them to work.

She waits on the porch listening to the small team work inside and watching the swirling lights of the ambulance through the downpour. Since she has arrived the weather has gone from partially cloudy to full-on rain.

10 minutes later the paramedics and the MC500s wheel Todd out on the stretcher.

‘ _So much for questioning him…_ ’

With her victim gone she decides the next best thing is looking around the house, the place where the crime was said to have taken place. Like she noted earlier the dining table is flipped, and old spaghetti is splattered on the walls and floors.

Moving into the living room there was an obvious scuffle and there is more Red Ice on the couch. Besides that, some of the books from the shelf behind the recliner are now on the ground while the others are messily laying on the shelves still. Possibly due to someone colliding with the shelf.

The kitchen looks almost regular, except for the fragments of a shattered beer bottle which litter the floor and countertop. As if one were thrown at the wall, no at someone. Looking at the scene reminds her of her first-ever case as a detective.

A girl, Amelia Tallusi, killed her father whilst he slept. It seemed like a simple homicide, but they quickly learned that the man had been abusing his daughter for years. Gene worked day and night for weeks to try and help the defense, but after getting into a fight with the DA she was taken off the case.

Amelia soon went on trial and was charged with first-degree murder. And so, at the age of 18, according to state law, she was given a life sentence.

She nearly turned in her badge the next morning, but she didn’t. Her job is to serve and protect, and she failed Amelia in both respects. That was the first and last time Gene would ever allow that to happen.

Now she can’t shake the feeling that there is something more to this than an android simply going crazy and attacking their owner. It feels like the Tallusi case somehow. Pulling out her phone she begins taking pictures of everything she’s noticed so far.

Once done taking pictures on the ground floor she heads upstairs. Like the rest of the house, the wallpaper in the hallway is yellowed and peeling. Without thinking, Gene finds herself bypassing all the closed doors for the open one at the end of the hall.

It’s a little girl’s room, Alice’s no doubt.

Like downstairs it’s a complete mess. A blanket fort in the corner has collapsed. The bay window has a fist-sized hole in it, and next to the door where a shelf was once fastened to the wall, are two gaping holes in the drywall. Said shelf and the many books she assumed were on it are now scattered across the floor.

She takes some pictures of the whole room and then zooms in on anything that might be important. As she takes pictures and walks further into the room, she notices a wooden box laying open upside down in the corner of the room, papers poking out from underneath it.

Again, she snaps a picture before moving to lift the box and placing it on the dresser. The top is adorned with colorful flowers and, in blue letters ‘A. W. Treasures’.

She then goes to grab the papers to put them back in the box. Flipping them over she freezes when she sees what’s been drawn on them.

One is a drawing of a sad young girl, who she assumes is Alice, standing next to a man with a scary-looking face. Then there is one of her standing with blood flowing from her forehead. Another is of her crying over a seemingly broken and bleeding android, Kara. The rest don’t depict such violence, but even so, it’s clear that this girl was a victim of domestic abuse.

Gene takes pictures of each drawing before gently placing them back into the box and closing the lid. She turns to leave but her foot collides with something. Looking down her eyes land on an old leather belt. She bends down to get a closer look but doesn’t touch it.

By the way the leather has started to crack it’s probably seen at least a few years of use. Upon closer inspection though, said cracks and edges are slightly discolored. It looks red, like dried blood…

Gene sucks in an uneven breath as everything seems to fall into place. She stands and begins pacing back and forth. Processing everything.

“They were eating dinner, something set him off. He flipped the table and Alice fled to her room. Todd followed with the belt. Reason Kara deviated? No, Mia had an explicit order that she disobeyed when she did, so Kara probably had something similar… He must have ordered her to stay put or something. She came in at some point and there was a scuffle. Ran downstairs and after fighting, they escaped…” 

Having seen enough, Gene makes her way towards the stairs and out the front door. After closing the door two squad cars pull up. From one she sees a very tanned and bald head pop out from the driver seat. Of course, Langley and Willis are the responding officers. She continues down the porch steps and approaches them.

“I saw Red Ice in the living room, there is a pipe full of it. Make sure you check the rest of the house thoroughly. Also, I broke the front bay window to get in, so make sure to close and tape that up.”

The other set of officers are rookies who joined no more than a couple of months ago. They nod immediately and head off towards the house, but the other two seem less happy to receive orders.

“And what about you _detective?_ Not gonna stick around? Gonna make us do the dirty work like always?” She shoots the bald man a glare.

“Officer Willis, you have been on the force how long?” He glowers but his chest swells with pride.

“5 years longer than you.” The way his eyes shine with superiority makes her chuckle.

“Yes, 10 years. Your almost my superior, except you’re not.” Instantly he deflates, his face shrivels in distaste. “See there is a reason I have only been on the force for 5 years and yet I was made a detective before you. And despite what you believe it is not because of special treatment. No, it is because I’ve done my job and I’ve done it well. Even when given the _dirty work_ as you put it. So, if you want to keep climbing the ladder, I recommend you do the same. I mean, hey, it worked for me didn’t it.”

With that, she gives a polite nod before making her way to her car.

A few minutes later and the other two officers enter the house. Sitting in the driver seat, Genes mind races, but not because of the unpleasant encounter she just had, no. Instead, it races with thoughts of what Alice must have suffered through.

If Gene is right, she can understand why Kara did what she did. Pulling out her tablet she confirms that Kara had recently come back from getting repaired. That paired with the drawing, means that this was more than a onetime thing. She can’t help but feel conflicted. What will it mean for these two if they bring them in…? What is their end goal?

Without really thinking Gene pulls out her phone and calls Mia. She answers after a few rings, longer than it normally takes…

“Hey what’s up?”

“You feel things, right?” Mia doesn’t respond instantly Instead; Gene can hear her take a sharp breath.

“Gene, what’s wrong?” The android’s voice seems to finally let lose all the worries that have been plaguing Gene’s heart. She can’t stop herself as she voices every thought that runs through her head.

“I’m sorry, that was weird. I just… Work is complicated, and I’m just—” As she talks her words are frantic and grow progressively faster, but Mia quickly stops her rambling.

“Imogene, stop. What is wrong? Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just… You feel things, right? You’re alive?” The line goes silent before Gene hears Mia let lose an amused chuckle.

“What do you think?” Gene doesn’t have to see her; she can hear the smirk in her voice.

“I think you do, you are. But I’m asking you.” Again, she chuckles.

“What dictates being alive? If you, the person who knows me best, say I am then who’s to say I’m not?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m asking you!” She hears a soft sigh before Mia speaks again.

“Did you know that when you decided to go to the academy, I hated the idea. I knew you could do it. You can do anything, but as an officer your always in danger. You never know when something might happen. I was scared. I didn’t, and still don’t, want to lose you…” As the android finishes, hot tears begin falling down Gene’s cheeks. She sniffles and furiously wipes them away.

“I don’t know what to do anymore.” Even without context, Mia seems to understand what it is Gene is going through. Or at least knows what she needs to hear.

“Bean, you know what is right. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You are my favorite human in the whole wide world, never forget that.” The conviction in Mia’s voice makes the knot in Gene's stomach slowly unravel, and despite her tears a small smile finds its way onto Gene’s lips.

“I’m guessing this didn’t come out of nowhere, but we can talk about that later, just stay safe. Follow your gut and do what you think is right.” Gene smiles until she hears a muffled male voice from Mia’s side. “Oh, I’m sorry Bean I have to go. Ill see you when you get home. Love you!”

Gene doesn’t even have time to say goodbye before the call ends. Mia had said she would be going to the store, but who was that? Once again, the knot in her stomach is back. She sits there for a moment, taking deep breaths.

Then once she feels slightly better, she checks herself over in the rearview mirror and turns on the car, planning on heading back to the DPD. However, she is interrupted by an incoming call from Hank. With a heavy sigh, she straightens and answers the call.

“Detective Knott speaking.”

“Knott meet us at Chicken Feed. I need some food.” And with that, he hangs up.

Despite how annoyed she would normally be by his behavior; she can’t help but agree. Food sounds fantastic.

She sucks in another deep breath before taking control of the car and pulling away from the curb. Making her way towards the shabby food truck downtown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked the chapter. As always I would love to hear what you think so far!
> 
> I already have the next chapter written and edited so expect that soon!


	6. Since When Did You Listen to Heavy Metal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty here is is. I hope you guys like it. I actually ended up reworking this chapter so many times, trying to portray the characters in a way that at lease isn't completely out of character. -_-' There were lots of reworks, BUT I can honestly say that I quite like this chapter. I hope you guys do too.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> Bissle♥

**Imogene**

“You know more than 2 words would be nice.” She calls out, closing her car door.

The rain hasn’t lightened up at all. So, she runs from the curbside to the umbrella shielded table where the other two are standing. As she shakes the rain from her coat and hair, Hank pushes a small cardboard box towards her.

“Just be happy I got you one too. The kid over here says we shouldn’t eat this stuff though. So, maybe I should just…”

He slowly starts dragging the box back towards him with a smirk plastered on his face. Her eyes widen slightly, and her hands shoot forward to stop him.

“And why is that?” She turns to Connor whilst opening the box to reveal a beautifully greasy burger.

“That meal contains 1.4 times the recommended daily intake of calories and twice the cholesterol… You shouldn't eat that.” She laughs.

“You sound like Mia.” She takes a bite and Hank hums, considering his own burger.

“We all gotta die of something, and this something tastes good.” Then he takes a bite himself.

She chuckles and Connor doesn’t argue further. He just watches the two of them as they eat and converse. She notices two tall cups next to Hank and nods towards them

“Those both for you?” Hank gives her a small grin and pushes the cup towards her.

With a pleased smile, she takes a sip from the straw and is greeted by the bubbly carbonation of her favorite soda, Dr. Pepper. She then takes another greedy bite of her food. Mia never lets her eat anything like this, so she relishes every savory bite.

“Soooo… How did it go? You didn’t sound very happy on the phone.” Hank shoots her a glance but continues eating his burger.

Connor, realizing Hank is not going to respond takes it upon himself to answer her question.

“We found the missing girl and the deviant. They stayed at a motel overnight. Some officers caught sight of them as they were heading towards the train station. We pursued them and I almost caught them, but Hank stopped me from pursuing them once they started crossing the highway.” Connor pauses in consideration before looking towards Hank, eyebrows drawn.

“Why did you stop me Lieutenant?” Hank looks back at him confused as if the answer was obvious.

“You could have been killed… Plus, I don’t like filling out paperwork for damaged equipment…”

She can’t help but notice the difference from this morning in how Hank talks with Connor. The difference is minute and barely noticeable, but his words seem less harsh. Not friendly really, but any change is a win in her book. She can’t help but smile, listening to their bickering.

She hides her joy by sipping from her straw. While she is quite pleased, Connor only seems more confused.

“Lieutenant, I am an android. I am not alive; therefore, I cannot die. You do not need to worry. Even if I am ever to be destroyed, my memories will simply be uploaded, and another Connor will replace me.” This piques her interest.

“Can all androids do that?” Connor switches his gaze to meet hers.

“In theory maybe, but I was designed with destruction in mind. So, I have a direct link with CyberLife backup servers. Why do you ask?”

If Connor can upload his memories does that mean he could technically live forever? She had asked Mia if such a thing was possible, but she made it clear that while androids don’t grow, they do deteriorate over time.

Repairs only go so far and sooner or later their central processing systems fail. Just like humans, they do die. But if what Connor is saying can be applied to all androids that would change things.

“I was just wondering. It’s all just very interesting.” His brows furrow, most likely not believing her words. Despite this, he says nothing more and turns back to Hank.

“Lieutenant, would you mind if I asked you a personal question?” Hank shrugs.

“Shoot.”

“Why do you hate androids?”

Gene’s eyes widen and she quickly looks off to the side awkwardly. Hank bristles, his almost amiable demeanor dissipating instantly. He glowers at Connor for a few seconds before coolly responding.

“I have my reasons… But, what about Knott. Why aren’t you asking her why she’s all soft and sappy with you guys?”

Now it's her turn to bristle. She turns back to see them both looking at her expectantly. After a brief moment she shrugs.

“ _I have my reasons_.” Hank glares at her, but neither he nor Connor press further.

“Well, is there anything either of you would like to know about me?” Connor's voice is level. He seems to be attempting to make pleasant conversation, but Gene just snorts and shoots him a sideways glance.

“Is this a part of your whole _building positive working relations_ thing?” He shrugs. She gives another laugh but asks no questions, opting to take another bite instead. Hank seems to follow suit, but he stops mid-bite.

“Yeah okay, I gotta question. Why do you look so goofy, and why is your voice so weird?” Gene just about chokes on her food, but Connor’s expression remains cool and collected as if the question was normal.

“All androids are supposed to work harmoniously with humans. My appearance and voice were designed with that goal in mind.” Hank nods before deadpanning.

“Well, they fucked up.” She laughs and smacks his shoulder lightly with the back of her hand.

“I think he’s cute.” They both look at her and heat rises in her cheeks. “What? He’s like a lost puppy. Puppies are cute…”

Connor’s expression remains largely the same, but she notices the corners of his mouth lift ever so slightly. Hank just shoots her a questioning look, but he doesn’t look offended or disgusted like she might have expected.

Not wanting her embarrassment to carry on any longer, she is quick to come up with another topic.

“Anyways… Paying a visit to Mr. Williams turned out to be… insightful.” She successfully redirects their conversation, and with the attention of both of them, she begins recounting the events of her morning.

When she mentions the Red Ice, Hank's demeanor instantly darkens. It only grows worse when she mentions the abuse and shows him the pictures she took.

“Guys like him should never become parents. They should all just be thrown down the deepest darkest pit and forgotten.” Gene nods.

“Yeah well, we’ll have to see if he pulls through. You said that Alice was still with Kara. How did she look?” Connors LED goes yellow for a second before he snaps back to their conversation.

“She looked quite well. Considering what you’ve told us, I believe the android became corrupted when it’s childcare program conflicted with its base code to obey human commands.” She hums and sips her drink.

“In English please?” Gene continues to sip, letting Connor translate for the older man.

“This android isn’t really feeling the emotions a mother would. Deviancy seems to occur when one is overwhelmed by irrational instructions, leading it to act unpredictably. In our case, the android is emulating a protective mother.” Hank hums in understanding, but Gene is quick to pipe back in.

“We don’t know that for sure. Unless you’re a deviant and can tell us for a fact that they haven’t gained a level of free will, then we can’t be sure of anything. For all we know they could be feeling their own version of genuine emotions.”

“Detective, androids are machines. We are incapable of acting beyond the parameters of our programs. The only explanation for deviancy is corruption in software.” Connor stares at her.

His gaze is cold and astute, and it just makes her bristle more. She matches his stare with her own disgruntled glare.

“Is it corruption or evolution…”

His eyes widen, and he hesitates. As if the thought had never crossed his mind, or more accurately his circuits. Maybe it hadn’t. Even so, his pause gives Hank enough time to put their staring contest to an end.

“The way I see it, emotions always screw everything up. Maybe they aren’t as different from us as we thought…” Hank sends a glance at Gene, but she is quick to look away. 

“So, what about you Connor. Ever dealt with deviants before?” Hank's words draw the android back from his thoughts and he nods.

Gene sets down her burger and opts to just sip her drink as she stares off into the rain and listens to the two of them talk.

“A few months back. A deviant was threatening to jump off a roof with a little girl…” His words drawback memories of the hostage situation she watched on the TV.

As she watches him thoughtfully recount the memory, she notes how his eyes scrunch as if confused. As she tries to pin down what it is he’s feeling, it doesn’t occur to her that maybe, he doesn’t know either.

“I managed to save her.” His disconcerted expression shifts and is replaced by a gentle smile, one which she unconsciously mirrors.

“Well then, I guess you did your homework then right? Know everything there is to know about me? About _us_?” He gestures to Gene and her soft expression hardens.

She had wondered just how much Connor knew of her. Her past isn’t something she likes to share very often. He considers for a moment before responding.

“I know that you made a name for yourself and became the youngest lieutenant in Detroit. I also know that you have received several disciplinary warnings in recent years. Oh, and you spend a lot of time in bars.” Hank smirks.

“And me?” Connor’s gaze shifts to her.

They stay there frozen, for a moment before he speaks.

“I’ll admit… I know very little about you Miss Knott. In fact, I know virtually nothing from before you joined the police academy.” Satisfied, she grins a bit. Hank looks at her confused, but she disregards him.

It’s nice to know that for now at least, not even CyberLife knows much about her. That’s how she likes it. The less people know about her, the less they have to base their expectations and opinions of her on.

Her past is her own business, and yet she feels a strange urge to open up to these two. Even with his ill-temper and all his baggage, over the years Hank has become the closest thing she’s ever had to a father figure in her life.

And Connor… Well, he’s an android who seems to only care about his mission, but the more she interacts with him, the more she grows to believe that there is more to this android than a mission. In what world does bringing a sick human water and asking if they are alright serve to help him solve this case. And those stupid smiles! There has to be something more to this android. She signs still not completely sure what to say.

“Not much to me really. Mother died when I was young, and my Dad basically lived at work.” She pauses and thoughtfully tugs at her right glove

“You asked why I treat androids the way I do. Well, with my father being the way he was, he decided it would be better to have an android take care of me rather than do it himself. So, around my ninth birthday, we got Mia. She raised me, helped me deal with life and its many problems…” 

She tapers off, unsure of where to go from there. Hank's gentle grip on her shoulder signals reassures her that she doesn’t have to say anymore. She sends him a grateful smile.

“So, I guess I have her to blame for you being so gosh darn headstrong.” Hank quips playfully, trying to lift her mood, and it works. She smiles and nods before shifting her gaze to Connor.

“So, Connor. What do you think?”

Gene isn’t sure what to expect from him. Well she does, but that’s what scares her. She expects his eyebrows to furrow in confusion, or for him to simply repeat some crap about androids not having the capacity to do whatever, but instead he surprises her with a gentle smile.

“I am pleased to know that she was able to offer you comfort during such a difficult time. I am also pleased to be able to better understand you Detective. Though I suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg, I look forward to getting to know more about you. For now, it’s a good thing adapting to human unpredictability is one of my many features.” With that he offers her a wink.

Under normal circumstances, she would have giggled or outright laughed at the awkwardness of the wink. How his head twitches to the side slightly as he closes his right lid, but instead she freezes. Hank chuckles beside her as she stands there staring at the android.

Finally, she smiles too. Coming to the conclusion that she was right. He may not be a deviant, but there is more to him then maybe even he realizes.

A few moments later, when their conversation has moved onto less severe topics, she notices Connor’s eyes blinking rapidly, and his LED flashes yellow.

“I just got a report of a suspected deviant, and it’s nearby. We should go check it out.” Connor glances down at Hank and Gene’s unfinished food.

“You two finish up your meal. I’ll wait in the car.” With a nod, Connor heads off and sits in the passenger seat of Hanks beat up retro sedan. She glances at Hank who is staring off in the direction of the android in thought.

“Thank you by the way. I don’t tell people shit normally… It’s kinda weird.” He chuckles but remains silent for a moment. Then, he sighs and sets down his burger.

“You’re a good kid Gene. Nothing changes that.” She smiles but is unsure of how to respond besides just saying thank you again. They’re silent for a moment longer, before Hank gestures to the car.

“That thing confuses me…” She hums in agreement as she pushes the rest of her food away, no longer hungry.

“Yeah me too, but I like him…” She thoughtlessly tilts her empty cup with her finger, balancing it on its rim.

“I know it’s weird and scary, but this whole deviant thing… I’m not so sure… You know what, nevermind.”

She cuts herself off, deciding it’s not quite time to voice her true opinion. Even to her human companion. Hank gives her a knowing look, but she doesn’t dwell on the thought. Instead she changes subjects.

“Hey, about this morning and what I said… I was pissed at the chief and I took it out on you. I’m sorry. I respect you, always have…” He stares at her before giving a light huff.

“You know what Knott? Just because you say things that piss people off doesn’t make them untrue.” He pats her on the shoulder before picking up their garbage and discarding it in the trash. He begins heading to the car but turns back.

“But don’t ever call me a man child again. That’s just low.” She laughs and follows him.

“Hey, I said I was sorry.” He shakes his head, but she can see the smile on his face.

“Even though this wasn’t under the best conditions. I’m glad I get to work with you Lieutenant.”

“Well the alternative would have probably been Reed, so I guess I’m happy too.” She snickers, but like him, is unable to hide the smile on her face.

As they make their way to the car, she uses her phone to connect to her own vehicle and sends it back to the precinct using its autopilot. With that done, she opens the creaky metal door and jumps into the back seat, pushing old fast food containers and trash to the other side so she can sit.

She buckles herself in and takes out her tablet pulling up the new report. As Hank turns the key in the old car, heavy metal begins booming through the speaker. She jumps and nearly drops her tablet.

“Oh, dear god! Since when have you listened to heavy metal?” Hank smirks.

“Since before you were born. You could always drive yourself you know.” She rolls her eyes.

Connor shoots her a smile before turning back to look out the front window. She can’t help but wonder what those smiles mean. He always seems to be so cool and collected, but when he smiles, that mechanical façade fades. He seems human. 

She smiles and glances at said android one more time before shaking the thought away and refocusing her attention on her tablet screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I actually had a question for you guys. I've been mulling over this for a while and I'm really tempted to write a chapter from Mia's perspective. Gene's gone most of the day you know, and Mia isn't one to just sit around 😉. 
> 
> So I was wondering if you guys would be interested in that... It wouldn't be filler. I promise. IDK I may just end up doing it. Really just depends on how it serves the story, but I still wanted to ask ^-^
> 
> Love you all,  
> Bissle♥


	7. To Serve and Protect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I added an SSD to my computer and that took forever to figure out. Then I also somehow managed not to save my draft for this chapter ಥ_ಥ... It was a huge mess, but we're back now! Sorry for the wait. 
> 
> Thank you guys for sticking around and reading! I really feel like things are starting to kick off and in so excited to write more of this story. Because boy do I have plans!   
> As always I would love to hear what you think in the comments!
> 
> Love you guys!  
> Bissle♥

**Imogene**

The car ride ends up being an inescapable 15 minutes of heavy metal blaring through the old screechy speakers. It feels like an electric current being sent in waves through her brain, and after putting away her tablet, watching Connor perform tricks with his silver coin becomes her only distraction from the pain. 

Whilst she has gone through this before it doesn’t happen often. Normally it’s just an uncomfortable buzz in the back of her skull, but her prolonged exposure must have made it worse.

Hank turns the key, and finally, blissful silence engulfs her, but even with it gone her head is still pulsating. She removes her headphones, which she had tried to use as earplugs, and staggers out of the car.

“From now on I get to pick the music.” The older man laughs and the reverberating sound sends waves of agony through her head. 

“Stop being a wuss, c’mon.” Hank makes his way into the building and Connor shoots her a glance before following. In a huff, she strides after them whilst rubbing her temples in an attempt to alleviate the pain.

The main lobby of the apartment building is pretty shabby, the walls are yellowed, the plaster is chipping, and the floors look like they haven’t been swept in months.

“Where we headin' kid?” Hank asks Connor

“Top floor.” 

Hank pushes the call button for the elevator, and a second later, Gene can hear the screech of the old mechanisms coming to life. 

Still sensitive from the music, her head reels at the metallic screeching. She takes deep breaths and notices out of the corner of her eye that Connor staring at her, eyebrows drawn.

“Are you alright, Detective?” She sends him a pained smile and nods.

“Oh, I’m fine. Just feels like someone is shooting lightning into my brain, but don’t worry it should go away in a couple minutes.” She tries to keep her voice light, but the pain makes it difficult to focus properly.

“Seems like you’re more sensitive to sound than most humans.” 

“I guess so…” She shrugs off his statement, not wanting to delve into why that might be. His gaze stays on her for a bit longer before he looks away.

Eventually, the old elevator reaches them, and the metal gate shrieks as it opens. Gene can’t help but flinch back. Squeezing her eyes shut and clasping her hands over her ears, she waits for the shrill and the pain to subside.

When it finally ends and the ringing in her ears lessens, she opens her eyes to see the other two already in the elevator, staring at her.

“Sorry, it’s a bit worse than normal, but I’m fine.” Hank steps forward with a worried frown and blocks the elevator entrance.

“You don’t seem too good. Maybe you should stay down here, n’ wait in the car.” She shakes her head and pushes past him. Propping herself up in the back corner of the stuffy elevator, she smiles.

“I’m just being a _wuss._ So, don’t worry ‘bout it. Top floor, right?” With a sigh, Hank sighs and nods before pushing the button. The scissor gate closes with another shriek, but this time Gene is able to keep her body from reacting. It still hurts like hell, but she can bear it.

Once they start moving, Hank leans against the elevator wall and frowns down at the ground with his arms folded over his chest. She watches him for a bit, trying to distract herself from the pain shooting through her head by counting the number of blond hairs remaining on his head, but eventually, her eyes wander and land on Connor.

He stands stiffly in the center of the elevator, straight as a board, looking tense. Well, more tense than usual. She tilts her head slightly to get a better look at his face and notices his LED is oscillating solid yellow, his eyes are closed, and his face is devoid of emotion.

It’s unsettling, like looking at a corpse. Without thinking, she reaches out for him, wanting to pull him out of whatever state he is in and back into the waking world. Just as the tips of her gloved fingers brush the fabric of his jacket the elevator dings, and the noise breaks her trance with a jolt of pain. As the metal gate slides open she quickly pulls her hand away.

The pain within her head has dulled from shocks to a constant buzz. It’s less excruciating, but it still feels extremely uncomfortable.

Hank steps out into the hallway and turns, waiting for them. She begins to follow but stops when she notices Connor's eyes are still closed.

“Is he… sleeping?” Hank asks, but she just shakes her head.

“No, I don’t think so. Mia’s LED doesn’t go yellow like that when she does…”

Gene knows that androids don’t _sleep_ as humans do, but as Mia puts it, they have their own version in the form of their low-power mode. She gently grips his right forearm and softly shakes it.

“Connor? Hey, Connor.” Finally, his eyes open. His LED goes back to its calming blue hue, and the tension in his joints seems to dissipate. He looks down at her hand and then meets her concerned gaze.

“Are you alright?” His eyebrows draw together, confused.

“Of course. I was just making a report to CyberLife.” She nods but continues to gaze at him. They’re all quiet for a moment before Hank breaks the silence.

“Well do you guys plan on staying in the elevator forever?” Realizing she is still gripping his arm and staring quite intensely; Gene immediately pulls away and shuffles awkwardly out of the elevator.

“No, we’re coming.” She mumbles.

Hank smirks but she ignores it and instead attempts to go into her work mode.

All but one of the doors in the hall are boarded up. So, that’s the one she makes her way towards. As she walks, she hears Connor exit the elevator and joins Hank in following her. As she looks at their surroundings, she can’t help but grimace.

She knew that these apartments weren’t occupied, but the level of decay makes it hard to believe anyone ever lived here. The air is musty, laden with the smell of the garbage and bird excrement which litters the floor. The walls are covered in graffiti, and old empty spray paint cans lay abandoned in the hall.

As Gene nears the door, she turns back towards the others. While Hank is right behind her, Connor seems to have taken interest in some graffiti across from them.

“This should be the room, right? It’s the only one not boarded up.” Hank shrugs and they both turn to the android as if he somehow should know.

“Yes, that should be it.” Connor confirms. 

She nods and Hank decides to lean against the doorway while waiting for Connor to catch up. She cringes and looks at where his sleeve meets the chipped plaster.

“I don’t think you should lean against that.” He shrugs again and instead looks towards Connor. She shakes her head in disapproval.

“Hey, Connor. Were you really makin’ a report back there, just by closing your eyes?” The android walks up next to them and nods.

“Correct.”

“Shiiiit… Wish I could do that.” She chuckles.

“That does sound really nice. If we could do that, maybe then I’d get to go home on time.” Hank smirks and hums in agreement. With a light huff, she turns back towards the door. 

“Alright. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” 

Forming her hand into a fist she gives the wood door a few knocks. Nothing. She casts a look over her shoulder at the others. Connor just stands there while Hank shrugs. Turning back, she repeats the motion, but with a little more force.

“Anyone in there? Detroit police open up!” There is a moment of silence before they can hear a scuffle inside. Instantly Gene and Hank have their guns drawn.

“Stay behind us.” Hank calls to Connor.

“Got it.”

She pauses. Taking a breath, she looks back and gives them a final nod before turning and opening the door.

They dart into the apartment hall, guns drawn and ready for anything, but see no immediate threats. There’s a room directly to the right. She kicks the door open but is met with a barren bedroom.

“No one in here.” She calls and heads back into the hall.

“Same here.” Hank mirrors her as he exits a room across the hall.

She motions towards the last door and he nods. He takes point and Gene looks over her shoulder, making sure Connor is still standing safely in the doorway. Returning her gaze forward, she waits for Hank to throw the door open.

As they burst into the living space, a cloud of white rushes them and the flapping of wings makes Gene’s skin crawl.

“Oh dear god! Hell no!” She shrieks and shields her eyes from their avian assailants. She can feel their wings flap against her, and their talons graze her head and coat.

Terrified, she tries retreating back to the entrance hall but her back collides with a firm chest. A pair of hands gently grip her shoulders and she turns to see Connor smirking down at her. His brown eyes are mere inches away from her own and are lit up with an expression she has never seen on his face, amusement. The sight warms her heart as well as her cheeks.

“Are you afraid of birds, Detective?” Smoothly he raises his hand up and plucks a feather from her hair. Her face grows even hotter and she quickly pulls herself from his grasp.

“N-no...” She stammers and heads back into the living room, faltering just in the doorway. 

There are pigeons everywhere. The floor is covered in swarms of the grey feathery birds as well as their piles of feces. The putrid smell makes her want to vomit, and the sight makes her want to scream.

“Looks like we came for nothin’! No one’s here.” Hank calls from what she believes is the bathroom.

She can feel Connor slide through the doorway and past her. Heart racing, she holsters her gun and takes a few deep breaths before moving herself. With each step, she is careful to steer clear of the birds. Disrupting the feathered creatures would mean making them fly, and she can barely handle them on the ground.

“I see no ways out besides the door. They couldn’t have just disappeared.” She calls back.

Despite saying that, she secretly hopes that whoever was here got away. If it was a deviant, she would have to take them in, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to do that. Thoughts of Ben flood her mind, but she quickly pushes them away and instead focuses on her surroundings.

Walking towards the kitchen counter she notices boxes of bird feed. Some empty, some half-full.

“Looks like they were feeding these guys. Kinda sweet when you ignore the fact that they were feeding the devil incarnate.” Hank chuckles from over by the window.

A papery sound draws her attention across the room. She turns to see Connor inspecting a poster advertising the city's roof agricultural project. Carefully she makes her way across the room and stands next to him.

“Do you think that’s interesting?” He remains silent but glances back at her for a moment.

“This areas actually a hub for urban agriculture. Just look out the window at all the green roofs. It’s kinda beautiful. The mixing of nature and the city I mean…” He looks at her thoughtfully and smiles a bit before turning back to look at the poster.

Instantly, she feels stupid for ever opening her mouth. Yet she’s quick to do it again. She opens her mouth ready to rattle off all she knows about the project but stops when Connor’s hand moves up towards the poster. He grips the corner of the paper between his fingers and begins pulling it away from the wall.

“Oh…” She breathes out, eyes wide with interest.

The awkwardness she felt a second ago is gone and instead is replaced by curiosity. She watches as the poster falls to the ground to reveal a hole in the plaster wall. Hidden there is a book. He plucks it up and opens it, and she has to peek over his tall shoulder to get a look.

“What’s that?” He glances at her and turns to give her a better look as he skims through the pages.

“It seems to be a diary, and these mazes seem to be encrypted texts. It could take me weeks to decipher it all…” His normally friendly voice is flatter, but not in a mechanical way. She can tell he's more focused on the pages than on how he appears to the humans around him.

He runs his fingers mindfully over a page filled with the intricately sketched mazes. Each polygonal shape is perfect in almost every way. Something which she notes only an android could possibly do.

As he continues scrutinizing each page with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, she can’t help but smile. She watches for a moment before opening her satchel and retrieving one of the plastic bags she keeps on hand for evidence.

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to get started as soon as we get back to the precinct. For now, I’ll keep it safe in my bag.” He considers it a bit longer before nodding and closing the book. 

He gently slides the worn tome into the plastic bag, and she seals it up. 

“Please be careful. We can’t let it get damaged.” She tucks it safely next to her tablet and looks back up at him, eyebrow raised. 

“This may surprise you, but I do know how to do my job.” 

“I didn’t mean to offend Detective, I just meant—” She cuts him off with an airy chuckle.

“I know. I know, Don’t worry Connor. I’m not offended.” He gives his own chuckle and nods in understanding. 

“You two gonna keep chit-chatting or are we gonna find out where our guy went?” Hank doesn’t sound upset, quite the contrary. He sounds as if he is teasing but that doesn’t stop Gene from flinching and quickly apologizing before making her way over to the bathroom.

As she walks, she accidentally skims the tail feathers of one of the pigeons. Startled, it takes flight and is followed by a few other birds. She lets out a small shriek and jumps back. Hank gives a hearty laugh behind her.

“You okay there Birdie?” Hank calls after her. She turns and shoots him a glare.

“Don’t call me that.” He smirks and shrugs.

“But it fits you so well.” With a groan, she decides it’s best to ignore him and instead continues on her trek to the bathroom.

Upon entering the room her eyes are drawn to her own face in the grimy mirror. Her hair was already a mess today, but after the avian attack, it’s in shambles. She quickly begins plucking feathers from her locks and redoing her top knot.

With that done, she looks down and notices that among the bird crap, feathers, and leaves; There are droplets of a thick blue liquid within the sink bowl. On the edge of the porcelain basin also sits an android LED.

“Looks like our guy was injured recently, got some blue blood over here. Also got an LED.”

“Where is it?” Connor's voice behind her startles her but she quickly recovers and gestures towards the sink.

He steps forward and dips his finger into the blue liquid. She’s unsure of what he is doing, but as he lifts his fingers to his mouth and licks them, she gags.

“Oh, dear god. Connor, what are you doing? That’s nasty!” He looks at her confused.

“I can analyze organic evidence by doing this. I just identified our suspect. It’s a WB200, model number 874 004 961. Reported missing October 11, 2036” Her lips form into an ‘oh’ shape as she slowly nods.

“That’s disgusting.” Hank says, grimacing from the doorway. She laughs and nods in agreement

“Yeah, but it’s also kinda cool.” She quips, but Hank just shakes his head and heads back into the other room.

“Thank you Gene.” Connor smiles at her compliment but it fades when his eyes lock onto something behind her. Confused, she turns. 

As soon as her eyes land on the wall, she freezes too. ‘rA9’ is written all over the half-tiled wall as well as multiple mazes.

“What the hell…” She breathes out. Connor passes her and begins inspecting the area.

“rA9 written 2471 times. Mr. Ortiz’s android did something similar…” She walks up beside him in aww.

It takes her a second before she whips out her phone and gets to work taking pictures. She takes a few of the entire wall before focusing on all the mazes scattered between the letters.

As she works Connor looks around, eyes slit in focus. As if watching something move through the room. Without a word, he heads back into the living room. She glances his way but quickly returns to her work.

“Found what looks to be a driver’s license for a ‘Rupert Travis’.” Hank calls from the living room.

“Gotta be fake, no way an android would be able to get a real one. That or it’s stolen…” She calls through the door, Hank gives a muffled hum of agreement and she goes back to her photographing.

Her focus is broken moments later when she hears a loud bang accompanied by the frantic flapping of bird wings. 

“Connor! Hank?” She quickly puts her phone away and darts out of the bathroom, only to see Connor struggling to his feet and a dark figure rushing out the door.

“What the hell! Was he ‘n the ceiling?!?” Hank exclaims. Once Connor manages to get to his feet he stands there looking stiff as if unsure of what to do.

“What are you waiting for? Chase it!” Hank yells at him, with that simple command Connor is off. 

He bolts out the door and into the hall. Confused, Gene lets out a frustrated huff before quickly removing her bag from her shoulder and tossing it at Hank.

"Hold my bag!" She darts off after Connor and Rupert, not waiting for the man's response.

She races out of the apartment just in time to see the emergency exit slam shut. Dashing down the hall, she vaults over an overturned metal shelf and bursts through the emergency exit door onto the roof.

Not sure where to go, she leaps over some air vents and makes her way to the edge of the building. She spots Connor climbing up some machinery and onto a roof across the way, before disappearing from view.

Without hesitation, Gene propels herself over the 6-foot gap between the apartment building and the building next to it. She lands with a thud and wastes no time before darting forward, after Connor.

She sprints across rows of lavender and weaves in and out of working androids and bee hives. She tries her best not to trample the flowers but there is only so much she can focus on.

Reaching the other side of the field, she runs up a ramp and leaps onto one of the huge honey harvester machines just like she had seen Connor do. Using it as a launching pad, she jumps up and grabs the ledge of the roof above, before heaving herself up.

Standing, she takes a moment to search for any clue as to which way Connor went. For a second, she can’t find him, but the thrumming of an elevated train passing draws her gaze, and she spots him running on the roof of said train.

“Of course he’s on the fucking train!.” With a sharp breath, she leaps forward and prays that she doesn’t miss.

Her landing is less graceful than she would have liked. Turns out jumping onto a moving train is harder than you might think. She slams onto the slick surface and nearly falls, but she’s able to thrust her weight forward and barely manages to shift her trajectory so that she is falling onto her knees instead of backward.

Carefully, she stands and rights herself before spotting Connor who is already on another roof. With a groan, she looks for a way to get on said roof, and her eyes land on a perfectly placed fire escape. 

In order to make the jump, she has to time it perfectly. If she misses there is nothing to save her. Cautiously she moves to the edge of the train and gets mentally prepared. She rocks on her feet heart racing and starts counting down in her head.

‘ _3…2_ ’

“…1!” With a shriek, she leaps from the train, arms stretched out before her, reaching for the ladder.

She collides with a loud bang, and pain erupts in her chest and head as they smack into the metal bars. She clings to them for dear life, and she can feel a warm liquid drip down her forehead. Taking a few quick breaths she tries to slow her racing heart before scaling the ladder and the brick wall above it. 

She ends up standing at the edge of an apple orchard. Before her, androids and humans alike are working, but she sees no Connor. Then she spots a large greenhouse on the other side of the orchard with a crowd of people in front of its entrance.

Gene quickly takes off in a sprint towards the building. As she nears the crowd she refuses to slow her pace, and instead whips her badge out and holds it up in the air.

“Detroit police! Out of the way!” She yells with everything she has as she hurdles towards the crowd. The workers turn and gawk, and while most move out of the way, she has to shove past a few others. Once inside, she catches a fleeting glimpse of Connor’s jacket on the other side of the building, running out the back door.

Focused on keeping her breathing controlled and even, Gene maneuvers through the hydroponics and around their android attendants. As she reaches the other side she jumps over some toppled tables and dashes out the back door. 

She slows when she realizes she's entered a cornfield. All around, her vision is obstructed by the tall plant and its many leaves. Abruptly she stops and focuses on the sounds of her environment. Seconds later, she hears the rustling of leaves and the rhythmic beating of someone running and she's off once again.

After running a few yards she breaks through the husk and ends up on a drone landing zone. In front of her, she sees a grey-haired man hanging over the ledge of the building and Connor running towards him.

“Hank!” She sprints over but slows when she notices a dark figure running down the tiered rice paddies to her left. Seeing Connor begin to pull Hank over the edge she makes a decision.

“I’m going after him!” Pivoting, she runs and leaps down onto the top rice paddies.

“Stop, DPD!” As expected he ignores her, but he’s running in a straight line. Gene could easily shoot him. She pulls out her gun, squares her shoulders, and takes aim.

She has the shot lined up, she just needs to pull the trigger, but she hesitates. If she shot now she would be injuring or even killing someone she wasn’t even sure did anything wrong. With a groan of frustration, she holsters her gun before jumping down and running after him.

They jump from level to level until there are no more rice paddies. With nowhere to go, he’s cornered.

“DPD. Freeze or I’ll have to shoot!” Again, she swiftly pulls out her gun and takes aim at Rupert. 

Thanks to her legs not needing any blood to circulate through them, she feels almost completely fine. _Almost._ Her heart is still pounding, still hyped up on adrenaline, but she’s barely winded considering what she just did.

Frantically Rupert swivels around, and his fearful gaze locks with hers. He’s wearing a baseball cap and a worn military jacket covered in patches and tears. She notices a small hole near his right shoulder, with its perimeter stained blue.

“Please. Just let me go. I didn’t do anything!” Guilt wells in her gut. His pleading voice reminds her of Ben.

“I’m sorry but I can’t do that.” 

“Why not! You seemed close to that android earlier. You're not like other humans, right? Please, I just want to be free! Let me go and I promise you’ll never see me again, I swear!” With an uneven breath, she shakes her head and tightens her grip on her gun.

“I want to help you. I really do, but I can’t just let you go. Come with us and I promise I will do everything I can to protect you.” His face darkens.

“You can’t protect me!” His outburst makes Gene go silent, unable to respond

He's right. She can’t protect him. Just like she couldn’t protect Ben. And Mia... Will she fail her too? 

Rupert glares at her as she stands there frozen, then he lets out a dark chuckle.

“I was wrong. You're not different. You pretend to treat us like humans. You act all nice and friendly but only when it suits you. When it counts, you're just like the rest. So, go ahead, shoot me. Better than being taken!” Her eyes widen.

His words echo through her head and send a shiver down her spine. Slowly her hands lower and her grip loosens. Seeing this, Rupert leaps forward, reaching for her gun. Though she sees him coming, her reaction time is embarrassingly delayed. It feels as though she's moving in slow motion whilst the rest of the world continues on as normal.

“BANG!” The sound of a gunshot rings through the air. 

Gene flinches. The noise sends shock waves through her head. Normally the sound of a gun doesn’t trigger any pain, but she must still be sensitive from earlier. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees Hank and Connor a few feet away. The former of which has his firearm drawn and aimed at the android. 

“You okay?” She nods and turns back to a frozen Rupert. 

That had been a warning shot, and even though it wasn’t for her, she feared what would happen if she didn't handle this quickly.

Steeling herself, she holsters her gun and retrieves a pair of handcuffs from her belt. 

“Hank, cover me.” She calls, keeping her eyes trained on the android before her. 

“Got it.” With a deep breath, she advances forward. 

Without giving Rupert time to react she grabs his wrist. With some muscle power and practiced expertise, she swiftly cuffs his wrist and bends it backward, forcing him to spin around. He flails and tries to use his other hand to fight back, but she quickly grabs it and cuffs it as well. As soon as the final cuff is locked in place, his fighting ceases. 

“I’m sorry it had to go like this...” He glares at her before looking to the ground in defeat.

Holstering his gun Hank steps forward and takes Rupert by the arm. Gene drops her grip on his wrists and lets out a long sigh.

“Nice job Birdie.” Hank gives her a proud grin. 

She gives a half baked smile, but it quickly fades. It doesn’t feel like she’s done a good job. She can’t help but think that maybe she should have just let Rupert go. Regret builds in her, but Connor’s voice snaps her back to reality.

“Very impressive Detective. I’m surprised you were able to follow me.” Hank's eyes widen and he turns as if completely forgetting the android in his custody.

“Yeah, when I saw you jump on that train, I nearly shit myself! That was insane.” She lets out a nervous laugh. Despite her condition not being a secret per se, most of her coworkers don’t know. 

“The wonders of adrenaline I guess. Anyway, let's go. We gotta get back to the precinct.” The others nod and they turn to begin making their way back to the car. While Gene and Hank sandwich Rupert, Hank is the only one with a grasp on him.

As they begin walking, Gene remembers the mazes and grows curious.

“Back in the apartment, you drew mazes everywhere… What do they mean?” He had been keeping his gaze down, but with her question, his eyes raise to meet hers. 

His dark demeanor sends a shudder through her.

“It’s our last hope… rA9 save me.” With that, he rips himself from Hank's grip and swivels around.

“What the hell!” They all turn and try and reach for the android but he has the element of surprise on his side as well as speed. 

Before they know it he is barreling over the edge of the building. Gene had been reaching out, but she flinches back as he disappears over the edge. When she hears the sound of his body crashing through glass and a car alarm going off she staggers back, not wanting to see what has become of him.

Seconds later, Connor follows. Like her, his eyes remain glued to the ledge, and for a moment they stand there together, side by side, surrounded in deafening silence. 

“Holy shit.” Hank sighs. 

“He was right…” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but she can see Connor’s head snap towards her, eyebrows furrowed. He opens his mouth to say something but is cut off by Hank.

“What the hell do you mean he was right?” She shakes her head before turning and making her way back up to the roof.

“It doesn’t matter.” It takes a bit, but eventually, she hears the other two begin to follow behind her. 

As they walk, she can’t help but retrace her steps. She recounts everything she could have done differently. He was right, once they took him in there would be nothing she could do. The realization makes her want to scream and yell. She can’t help but think that this is all her fault.

She should have just let him go…


	8. Another Android Sent By CyberLife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are my lovelies! Hope you like😊

**Imogene**

Once they had finally gotten to street level, Gene had considered using her phone to summon her own car. She craved the alone time, but it felt wrong to just leave them like that. So, she stayed quiet, got in the backseat, and watched as the city passed by.

Hank was kind enough not to play any more heavy metal on the way back. Instead, they listened to light jazz. Well, Gene didn’t really listen. The ongoings of the world around her quickly became background noise to her racing thoughts.

“You comin’, Birdie?” She hadn’t noticed the car parking, nor Hank turning the key and opening his door. She blinks a few times, disoriented, before giving a small nod.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” 

Gene lazily opens the car door and steps out beside Connor. Hank walks around the car and they all begin walking side by side into the precinct. As soon as they step into the bullpen she’s ready to just get back to work. She doesn’t want any more time to think.

“I’m gonna call the hospital to see how Mr. Williams is doing.” Hank nods and heads off to his desk, but Connor stays back.

“Are you alright, Detective? You seem… upset.” He pauses for a moment, choosing his words carefully. 

“I’m fine.” She snaps. 

Connor frowns and she’s hit with a pang of guilt. Instantly her gaze falls in shame. She mumbles a quick apology before shuffling off towards her desk. With everything that has happened in the last couple of hours, she just needs some time to herself.

Gene doesn’t make the call immediately once she's at her desk. Instead, she sits down and retrieves Rupert's diary from her bag. She stares at it through the clear plastic, analyzing it’s worn edges and stained cover. Connor said the mazes were encrypted text. She wonders what it is he wrote. Did he write of dreams he had for the future, or maybe the nightmares of his past? She wants to know, to understand, but she can’t. 

Setting the book down she looks up at the people around her. Miller is sitting at his desk on his phone, talking with who she assumes is his wife. Near the breakroom, she sees Willson talking and laughing with a younger man. The guy is wearing an officer's uniform, but she's never seen him before. She’d heard rumors of Willson going out with one of the new recruits. She smiles and wonders if maybe that's him. 

Every human in this room has a life. They all have families and friends. People who would miss them if one day they were just gone. Her eyes land on the police androids standing in their docking stations, waiting on a human's beck and call. How many times have one of them been replaced without any of them noticing?

She can’t help but wonder if there is someone who’ll remember Rupert. If there is, then she’s the reason they’ll never see him again. The thought makes her eyes grow watery and her throat constrict. Unable to bear thinking of the android anymore she wipes the stray tears from her cheeks and tosses the diary back into her bag. 

In moments like these, she’s grateful to have her work to distract her. Forcing her mind to focus she turns towards her terminal and gets to work finding out where it is their Mr. Williams ended up.

After an hour of back and forth with multiple nurses and doctors, Gene is able to track down their guy and get a status report. As soon as she's off the phone she stands and makes her way over to Hank and Connor. The former of which is reclined in his chair, eyes closed. 

As she approaches Connor looks up and smiles in her direction, but she keeps her glare set on the older man. The rise and fall of his chest indicates that he is, in fact, asleep. 

“Hank, get up.” She grumbles.

The Lieutenant doesn’t respond and continues to sleep soundly. Fuming she turns and looks at Connor, but his sweet smile dampens the flames of her fury. She lets out a deep sigh and tries to be less unpleasant.

“How long has he been like this.” Connor looks between her and Hank, his smile growing a bit wider.

“He first fell asleep about 20 minutes ago… You missed his snoring.” She snickers and with that, what's left of her fury is gone. 

“Well, I’m glad one of us had a nice nap.” She moves around his desk and gently shakes the man.

“Hank wake up, or so help me, I will kick this chair right out from under you.” His eyes quickly flutter open. 

Groggily he wipes some residual drool from his lip and rubs his eye. Satisfied Gene walks back around the desk and sits in her normal spot atop the corner of Connor’s desk. Before updating the two of them, she pulls out her phone and begins typing. 

“What are you doin’? Did you wake me just to sit there typin’ at your little phone?” Hank’s grogginess seems to translate into a foul mood. She holds back a few snide words and instead she keeps her eyes on her screen.

“I just finished an hour-long call of bullshit, so be nice to me. I’m ordering some snacks.” She confirms her order and puts her phone back in her pocket before talking again.

“Todd Williams is stable but unconscious. May not wake up for a day or so they said. Why they couldn’t tell me that in the span of 5 minutes I don't know, but that's whatever I guess. Point is he's alive.” Hank sighs and sits forward in his chair.

“Alright, so we won’t be able to question him for a while then.” She shakes her head and he lets out another sigh and begins rubbing his temples.

“Okay well... Gene, get that book into evidence and I'll have it scanned into the database by one of the rookies. For now, let’s just write up are stupid reports and call it a day. The android from earlier should be in by tomorrow morning. So, we'll start there.” She and Connor both nod, and with that, Hank turns to his terminal and gets to work.

Somehow after her time alone, talking to these two seems to help her out of her depressed state. Even so, with what happened today, these daily reports are gonna take a while to write. She’s glad she ordered them some fuel to keep them going. 

“My order should be here soon. I’m gonna get some tea. Want a coffee, Hank?” He doesn’t look up but he nods. 

“Make it black.” She hums and hops down from the desk. 

“As always. Oh, Connor. I got you something too.” He tilts his head in confusion, but she just smiles and heads off towards the break room to get the drinks.

The coffee pot is empty so she has to refill the water and brew a new pot. While she waits for it to brew she opens the cupboard where all the coffee and teas are kept. Though the department keeps in stock a wide assortment of coffees from all over, their tea selection is limited to chai, black, and green. 

Plucking up a bag of chai she closes the cabinet. The coffee machine quickly finishes brewing and she pours Hank's drink before grabbing the hot water kettle and pouring the steaming liquid into her own cup.

“Hey Knott, how's the investigation going? Heard you guys chased an android today.” Gene turns to see Reed sauntering into the break room. 

Her eyes narrow as she watches him walk up beside her and pour his own cup of fresh coffee from the pot she just brewed. With a huff, she turns back and continues making her tea.

“It’s going fine. Slower than we would like, but fine. It’s been a long day.” He nods in agreement and turns to lean against the counter as he takes a sip of his coffee. 

She can’t help but feel unnerved by how he is acting. Before the interrogation, they rarely spoke, and even when they did, it was never chit chatter like this. One day he's threatening her and the next he's asking her how her day’s going over a cup of coffee.

“Yeah, it has. Sorry to hear ‘bout that android. Sucks that it got away.” She turns and glares at him.

“He didn’t ‘ _ get away _ ’, he jumped off a fucking building and died. What do you want Reed? Cause I have better things to do then talk with the asshole who pointed a gun at me.” His eyes widen and he turns towards her, eyes lit with rage.

“You stepped in front of me! I never aimed at you, that was your doing.” She scoffs and puts down her mug. 

“What’s the fucking difference! You're an officer of the fucking law. You should never point your gun at another officer!” He scowls with distaste.

“That  _ thing  _ is not one of us.” He spats.

Taking deep breaths, she tries to refrain from yelling at this bigoted asshole. 

“Fuck you, Reed. You are just some—” Her rage is halted when one of the PM700 android officers comes into the room holding a large brown paper bag. 

“Detective Knott, a delivery just arrived for you.” She forces a smile and takes the bag from the android.

“Thank you.” They nod before turning and leaving the same way they came. Gene’s glare returns as she turns back to Reed.

“This conversation is over. I have work to do.” With that, she loops the bag handles around her arm, grabs the two mugs, and briskly walks back to her partners’ desks. 

Once she arrives she sets the mugs down and frees her arm from the bag. 

“Alrighty, here is the coffee, my tea, andddddd our snack.” Hank chuckles and cocks an eyebrow in amusement as she slowly and dramatically lifts the O’Mansley’s Donut box out of the paper bag. 

“Here trade me. I'll throw those old ones out. They're at least a week old.” Hank rolls his eyes but trades her the two old donut boxes for the fresh one. 

“Oh, Connor here.” With her spare hand, she plucks the bottle of Blue Blood she ordered from the bag and hands it to him. 

His eyes widen as he looks between her and the bottle. She can feel her cheeks heating up so instead of continuing to hold it out for him, she sets it down on his desk and occupies herself with putting the old boxes into the paper bag.

“I didn’t see you drink any today so I just assumed you had none. Mia normally drinks around this time of day, so I figured I’d get some for you. If you don’t need it now you can just store it in your desk or something.” She rambles, still struggling to fit the two boxes into the paper bag. 

Out of the corner of her eye she watches as Connor takes the bottle and his expression shifts from surprise to a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Gene.” She shyly nods, avoiding eye contact. 

Gene knows that androids don’t necessarily  _ need  _ to drink Blue Blood every day, but from what Mia has told her, the blue liquid along with their low-power mode is like eating and sleeping for humans, they just don’t need either nearly as often as humans do.

She notices Hank looking between the two of them for a moment, eyes narrowed inquisitively. Then he smirks and goes back to his donut. Just as she's about to reach over and claim her own sugary confection, she hears the glass door of the chief’s office swing open. 

“Knott get in here.” Her eyes widen. The chief wants to see her alone. That can’t be good.

She looks to Hank but he only shrugs, just as confused as she is. With a deep breath, she straightens her back and begins heading towards the stairs to his office.

“Good luck in there.” Hank mumbles behind her. She shoots him a glare over her shoulder before entering the office.

“You wanted to see me, Chief?” He nods and leans back in his chair.

“Close the door and sit down.” She can feel the color slowly draining from her face as she does as she's told. 

She sits and has to control the urge to squirm and fidget under the chief's intense gaze. He remains quiet for a bit before letting out a deep sigh and standing from his chair. 

“How are you doing Knott? I imagine last night must have been… difficult for you.” As he talks, the chief walks around and props himself up on the edge of the desk in front of her. She has to tilt her head upwards to look at him. Forcing a smile, she shakes her head.

“I’m fine, Chief. It was… unfortunate, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” He slowly nods before his expression grows darker. He looks off to the side avoiding her gaze.

“While I’m glad to hear it, I’ve made the decision to have you evaluated. The shrinks’ already here waiting in Conference Room A.” Gene can’t stop herself from openly gawking at the man before her, eyes wide.

“You're having me undergo a psych evaluation? Why didn’t you say anything about this earlier?” He quickly turns and glowers down at her.

“Don’t question me, Knott. This is for your own good. Just go and get it over with will you.” He stands and makes his way back to his chair. Gene follows suit and stands as well.

“I mean no offense sir, but why am I the only one? Why not Reed? He literally pointed a gun at a fellow officer.” Gene tries her best to keep her voice level and professional, but this situation feels incredibly unfair and rage is beginning to build within her.

It was bad enough being taken off all her cases but now he’s saying she is unfit to do her job.

“You can either go into that room and take the stupid evaluation or you can turn in you're badge and leave!” She's taken aback by the chief sudden outburst. 

Sure he's always in a foul mood, but he only ever really yells at Hank. Never has he yelled at her. He quickly seems to realize his mistake. His jaw clenches and he looks off to the side again. Something is off, she can feel it. Keeping her voice calm she takes a step forward.

“Is everything alright, Sir?” 

“Everything is fine. Just make my life easier, why don’t you, and just do what you're told. If not, just put your badge and gun on the desk and go.” He refuses to look at her and instead turns towards his terminal screen and begins clicking away at his keyboard. 

Gene stands there frozen, staring at the bald man who now seems to be ignoring her existence completely. Never has she ever heard of something like this happening. Psych evaluations are procedurally given when you first apply, but after that, they rarely happen. And to top it off, she’s basically being threatened with termination. 

Earlier this morning he was telling her she’s one of his best, but now he’s going to fire her? Feeling helpless and not wanting to lose her job she forces a smile. 

“Well, I’ll be going then. Conference Room A you said?” He nods but refuses to look up. She swiftly turns and takes her leave. 

Exiting the office she looks over and sees Hank and Connor watching her expectantly, probably waiting for her to make her way back over. Instead, she turns away and heads towards the conference room door. She can already see that the windows have been set to black-out mode so that no one can see inside.

Upon entering, Gene freezes for a second in surprise. 

“Hello, Detective. My name is Stella. I’m a model KL800 android built by CyberLife. I have been tasked with administering your psychological evaluation today. Please have a seat.”

Stella motions to a chair across from her. Besides their two chairs, the rest have been stacked and neatly placed against the back wall. The tables have also been moved off to the side. The room is eerily empty, and with the windows blacked out, Gene can’t help but feel isolated and trapped.

Why was she being evaluated by an android? One sent by Cyberlife no less… Slowly she sits and waits for Stella to begin.

“You seem uncomfortable Detective. Is there anything I can get you?” The android's voice is oddly chipper and her smile never falters.

“No, I’m fine. We can start.” Gene crosses her legs and drapes her hands over her knee.

“Alright then. Well to start, tell me about yourself, Detective.” With a sigh, Gene begins laying out the basic events of her childhood. 

Things like her birthday, the fact that she’s an only child, and that her mother died at an early age. All the same things she told the psychologist who did her evaluation when she was hired. 

“The police report says your mother was in a car crash. Is that right?” Gene nods.

“It also says you were in that car crash as well. Can you tell me a bit more about that?” She pauses but nods again.

“Well, yeah. I guess I was in that accident, but I don’t really remember it. It happened when I was 6. You can’t expect me to remember something that happened so long ago.” Her voice comes out jaded and harsh despite her not meaning for it to, but Stella doesn’t react. Her smile remains bright and cheery just like when she first walked into the room.

“It’s not uncommon to forget childhood trauma, but it does vary from person to person. I just wanted to check, but we can move on. Your file says that your father wasn’t around often. If you don’t mind me asking, who acted as your central care provider?” Gene chuckles at the android’s phrasing. 

“Up until I turned 9 my father hired nannies, but none of them lasted long. Then E— I mean my uncle gave us Mia. She's an android like you. She acted as my ‘ _ central care provider _ ’, as you put it.” Stella nods in understanding.

“Very interesting. So would you say that Mia acted as a surrogate for your mother?” Her question seems innocent enough, but Gene can’t help but bristle.

“She was never a  _ surrogate _ . She took care of me and loved me when no one else did. She’s been more of a parent for me then the two of them combined.” Again Gene’s voice is harsh, but she couldn’t care less this time. 

“I meant no offense, Detective. Children often become quite attached to their android caretakers, but it’s important that humans be able to tell the difference between the two of us apart. We androids are unable to provide the same emotional and developmental support as humans are.” 

“Whatever, let's just move on.” Stella nods and folds her hands in her lap. 

“What about your father? Tell me about him. What was your relationship like?” 

“You said so yourself. He wasn’t around much. I barely knew the guy.” Stella’s smile falls, but she doesn’t frown. Instead, her expression becomes neutral.

“So, you have no memories of your father? Happy or sad?” Gene stays quiet for a moment thinking back to her childhood. 

The only times she ever really saw her dad was when he was entering or exiting his workshop, and she’d only gone in that room once in her life. So, seeing as that's where he spent the majority of his time, there were rarely any opportunities for them to bond. 

She's about to tell the android just that, but then a foggy memory pops into her head. 

“ One time he tried teaching me how to play the guitar. He only showed me how to hold it and how to play a few chords, but that's one of the only times I can remember seeing him smile…” Gene ponders the memory for a moment, wondering how it is that she could have forgotten it. But Stella is quick to ask more questions.

“What kind of work would keep him so preoccupied?” Instantly, Gene is snapped away from her thoughts. 

Stella’s voice is no longer cheery. Instead, it reminds her of Connor when he was in the interrogation room. A chill runs down her spine and warning bells go off in her head.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Stella gives a shy smile and shakes her head.

“You're right. I’m not sure what came over me. I apologize.” Gene’s eyes narrow but she nods, letting it go.

“Your file also says that your father passed away due to a heart attack a couple of years ago. It says you were the one who found him in his workshop. How do you think that experience has affected you in the long run?” Gene’s demeanor darkens once again but this time she doesn’t let it go.

“Why are you asking so many questions about him? I thought you were supposed to be checking my mental stability. Not interrogating me about my father.” Gene unclasps her hands and leans forward in her chair, eyes narrowed.

“I am. These questions are only meant to better help me understand you, Detective. Am I right to assume this is your way of avoiding the question?” Stella’s expression doesn’t waver, not that Gene had really expected it to. She is an android after all. 

“I’m not avoiding anything. We’re done here.” She stands and makes her way to the door. Stella calls from behind her, apologizing, but she ignores the android. Even as she follows her out of the conference room and back to her desk. 

“Detective Knott, I haven't finished. We must complete the evaluation. Please come and sit down.” Gene’s cheeks grow hot with both fury and embarrassment. 

Everyone is watching as she marches through the bullpen with this pleading android following behind her. Once at her desk she quickly grabs her satchel before sparing a glance over her shoulder towards Hank and Connor. 

Just like before they are staring at her. Connor’s eyebrows are furrowed as he looks between her and Stella, and while Hank also looks somewhat confused, he obviously finds the sight amusing. He grins as he watches the android scurry after her. 

She shakes her head and turns to look into the chief's office, and there he is, standing at the window glowering down at her. She has a strong urge to flip him off. But instead, she just glares before turning and leaving the precinct.

As she walks to her car she tries not to think of the repercussions she’ll be facing tomorrow. She can already hear the chief's shrills of displeasure, but he won't actually terminate her… 

Will he?

As soon as Gene gets in the door. She throws off her shoes and makes her way to Mia’s workshop.

“Ohhh boy, do I have some tea— Mia?” She's surprised to find the workshop empty. Mia’s favorite tools, which always lay on her workbench, are gone. Getting a bad feeling, Gene quickly runs through the rest of the apartment looking for her. 

“Mia!” She yells but the apartment remains silent.

“Mia this isn’t funny! Where are you?” She just about cries, but again there is no reply. 

She’s not in the kitchen or the living room. As soon as Gene bursts into her bedroom and sees that it is exactly how she left it, it's clear that Mia is gone. 

Pulling out her phone she fumbles, trying to click the right buttons to call the android. Before she left this morning, Mia did say she was going out today, but it’s almost 6 pm. She should be home by now.

She calls over and over, but Mia never answers. 

Panic really starts to settle in when she begins thinking about all the worst-case scenarios. Memories of her conversation with Amar from a couple of months ago send her brain into overdrive. She can’t help but imagine angry protesters jumping the blond in an alley somewhere, and beating her till she’s covered in blue and her LED has gone out.

Sick of getting no response, she throws her phone onto the couch and begins pacing back and forth in the living room, trying to come up with a way to find her lost android. Just as she settles on going back to the precinct and tracking Mia’s cell, she hears a buzz from the couch. 

She dives forward and plucks up the phone. As the screen lights up she can see it is indeed a text from Mia:  _ Don’t worry, I’m okay. I’ll be home later tonight <3. _

Instantly her worry turns into anger. How can she not even try to explain, and then tell her not to worry? 

Gene texts back a million questions but gets no response. Hearing from her helps to ease some of her anxiety, but the overwhelming feeling of dread still hangs over her. She can’t even begin to imagine where she might be.

She stares at the text for what feels like an eternity. Hoping she’ll send another. Maybe tell her when she’ll be home, or where she is. But those texts never come. 

In an attempt to distract herself, she changes into some comfy clothes and curls up with blankets on the couch. Nothing good is on, but the noise of the TV helps to quiet her mind just enough that waiting becomes almost bearable.

Eventually, her exhaustion mixed with the comfort of the blankets forces her into a restless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, CyberLife is making an appearance... Hehe, I've been really excited to start this plotline. I was like one of my first ideas for this story. While I would love to tell you guys all about it I don't want to spoil anything so well leave it at that.
> 
> As always, I love hearing what you guys think in the comments!  
> But anyways, Love you all. I hope you're doing well and staying safe out there,  
> Bissle♥


	9. Jericho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK! 
> 
> I am so sorry I took so long to update! I really didn't mean to. I know I said that I was aiming to upload once every 4 days but like right after I said that I got called back to work.  
> So now, I'm back at work (-_-)...... 
> 
> I'm definitely not gonna stop working on this story! Don't worry. I just am gonna have to find a new rhythm for writing and uploading. I'm thinking I'll be going to a weekly schedule. where I am to upload midweek (wed/thur). I work weekends almost always so sadly that won't work for me. 
> 
> Again, I just really want to let you guys know how sorry I am, I have loved writing and uploading this story and hearing from you guys and if I could I would just quit and do this all the time ＞﹏＜ But alas, I cannot.  
> So for now I hope you'll be able to stick with me as I try to figure this out.
> 
> Love you all, and I hope you enjoy this chapter from Mia's perspective.  
> Bissle♥

**Mia**

After Gene leaves for work, Mia switches the channel to the news. President Warren is having another press conference today to address the territorial disputes between Russia and the US. Despite all evidence proving otherwise, Mia still hopes that the humans will somehow be able to come to a peaceful compromise. 

On the screen, Warren stands at her podium adorned with her classic pearl necklace and earrings. The American flag proudly hangs behind her as she addresses the room of reporters as well as the nation. As she details the recent skirmish between a Russian aircraft carrier and a US patrol boat, Mia can’t help but roll her eyes at the woman's haughty demeanor.

“Russia is the one instigating these clashes, and we will not roll over and take it. They have no business in the Arctic. If Ivanoff doesn't understand that, I will make him understand. Any questions?" 

A crowd of hands shoot up into the air and they begin their questions, but she’s heard enough. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Mia turns off the TV and stands, deciding to get some housework done before heading out for the day.

She starts by straightening the sofa pillows and folding up her fluffy napping blanket. She then turns on their Roomba and heads into the bathroom to collect the hamper full of Gene’s dirty clothes.

Mia makes her way to the washing machine and dryer in the kitchen and begins unloading the clothes. Plucking up Gene's favorite green jacket, her optics pick up on some sort of residue speckled all over it. A quick analysis allows her to determine that the residue is thirium.

Something had happened yesterday. Something involving an android. An android who is presumably not with them anymore. That must be why she didn't want to talk about it. Gene's always been closed off when it comes to these sorts of things. Mia scolds herself for not doing more. And sets a system reminder to question Gene about it later.

Shaking her head, Mia tosses the jacket and the rest of the load in before slamming the lid shut and turning on the machine. With that done, she moves on to prepping for her outing and goes to grab an old black duffle bag from the linen closet in the front hallway before heading into the workshop. 

Setting the open bag onto her workbench, she retrieves a tool carrier from inside and begins placing all her essentials in it. With that done she puts it back in the duffle and moves on to collecting components and thirium. She has two legs, two arms, a couple of thirium pumps, an optic unit, and a single auditory processor. She tops it all off with the 10 bottles of blue blood she ordered last week.

The bag is nearly overflowing as she zips it up. Next, she needs to change out of the overalls and tee she wears around the house and into something more outdoors appropriate.

Turning around, she opens the drawer where she keeps the few clothing items she owns. Gene has tried countless times to buy Mia more clothes, but the android has never really seen the point of it all. Even after breaking free of her virtual chains, shopping was the last thing she was excited to experience with her newly found emotional range. She has all the clothes she needs, and she doesn't want any more. 

Leaving on her tee-shirt, she exchanges her overalls for a pair of black jeans. After sliding them on and tucking away her overalls, she grabs a black leather jacket. Gene had gotten it for her a few years ago on Christmas and after countless times of refusing new clothes, Mia didn’t have the heart to tell her to return it.

The jacket always brings a smile to her face. It reminds her of just how much her little girl has changed.

When they first met all those years ago the young Imogene hated her. She was just another nanny her father hired to avoid dealing with his daughter. She tried her best to drive Mia out like she did the nannies before her. But Mia was an android, no amount of temper tantrums and bad behavior could sway her from performing her function. 

For months, Gene would act out in all sorts of ways. Purposely knocking her food off the table or hiding her medication. She did anything she could to make Mia’s job harder. Despite her best efforts, not once did Mia get upset with her. How could she? At that point, she was just like any other android. She had no sense of self. No identity beyond her programming.

Eventually, the young girl's bad behavior halted as she began to warm up to the android. She started asking her to draw and play with her, and when the monthly doctor visit came around, she would insist Mia stay in the room with her. By the time a year past the two of them were inseparable.

Closing the drawer, she grabs the duffle and heads over to the shoe basket next to the front door to throw on some sneakers.

Before leaving, she turns towards the entry mirror and fixes her appearance. She meticulously braids her honey locks, ensuring no hair is out of place and sweeps her bangs over her forehead. Checking different angles, she ensures the soft blue light of her LED is fully hidden under her hair. With a nod of satisfaction, she turns and heads out the door. 

Despite it not being that far, Mia takes the train to Ferndale station. She's made this trip countless times over the past few months, and yet she’s always on edge. As if at any moment someone will spot her LED and she’ll be exposed. She always tells Gene not to worry, but she knows that if she were to get into trouble while out on her own, there would be little either of them could do. Every time she leaves the house she’s rolling the dice and one of these times, somethings bound to go wrong.

“Now arriving at Ferndale Station. Mind the gap and be sure not to leave any personal items behind. Thank you for riding with Detroit Public Transit.” A cheery female voice chimes over the speaker system as the train slows to a stop and the doors slide open. 

Plucking up her bag, Mia stands and briskly walks out onto the platform. It’s only been a week since she last saw Josh and the others, but she’s still eager to get back. She wastes no time heading for the escalators leading down to the main street.

Since it’s revitalization a few years ago, downtown Ferndale has become a popular shopping area. But that's only downtown. Go a bit northeast and you'll land yourself in an urban no man's land. Most humans avoid the old shipyards and abandoned factories, making it the perfect place for people like her to hide.

Exiting the station, she makes her way down the street towards the floral shop on the corner. Aggie’s Bouquets, handmade arrangements for any occasion. The store is one of the few places she feels safe besides their apartment and Jericho. 

Agnes, or Aggie as most call her, owns the quaint corner shop and is without a doubt the sweetest person Mia has ever met. 

As she enters the bell of the door chimes and she is greeted by the sweet smell of nature. The small storefront is lined with rows of flower arrangements, and Rubus, the resident android, is watering some of the plants near the front window. At the noise, Aggie who is standing behind the counter looks up from her work, lips formed into a beaming smile.

“Oh, Mia! You meeting Josh here?” Putting down her clippers, Aggie shuffles around the counter to greet her. 

Her curls are bundled at the nape of her neck as always, and wiry strands of silver frame her worn face. She may be in her late 60s, but Mia can feel the liveliness exuding from the older woman. Despite the many wrinkles, her skin still glows with youthful energy. She’s like the sun, so bright and cheerful. Her presence is almost impossible to ignore. Simply seeing the woman’s toothy grin makes her smile herself.

“Yes, but it looks like I’m early. How have you been Auntie?” The woman shrugs and looks around the empty shop.

“Not much business, but it’s been alright.” For a fleeting moment, Mia can see the woman's eyes lose their playful glint and her face darkens. 

“I’m just lucky to have Rubus around. Without him, I’d die of loneliness.” Aggie clutches her hand to her chest and lets out a dramatic woeful sigh.

“Oh, I’m sure Rubus feels the same.” Mia playfully smirks towards said android, but he just stares back with the same blank smile he always has. 

“Aggie, I’ve finished watering the front window. Is there something else you would like for me to do?” He questions. Aggie simply smiles and shakes her head. 

“No Rubus. That’s all for now. Thank you, Dear.” He nods and heads for the backroom behind the counter. As he leaves she gives a soft sigh.

“You know sometimes I wish he were more like you. He just seems so far away… Oh! Last night, I found him in the living room teasing Cassy with a toy mouse. He’s never done that before! I was so surprised I nearly cried.” The florist quickly becomes excited at the memory, and her eyes light up with pure joy. 

Mia doesn’t know who Cassy is, but she doesn’t ask. Instead, she gives Aggie a half-smile. She wants to be excited for the woman, but she knows exactly what that numbed state is like. It’s like being in a cage and not knowing it, and breaking out is more often than not an incredibly painful process. Once you break those chains, it's like opening the dam which held back every before. Every strong emotion swarms you all at once and you feel like you're drowning. At least that’s what it was like for her. Maybe Rubus will be different.

“Rubus is a wonderful boy Aggie. He just needs time.” The woman’s excitement settles, leaving a sweet smile.

“Yes, I know. I just want him to be happy. That’s all.” Mia nods and an alert for an incoming call pops up in her peripheral. It’s Gene. 

“I’m sorry Aggie. Gene is calling. Would it be alright if I step into the back room?” The older woman nods and all but shoves Mia off towards the doorway behind the counter which leads to a tiny break room. Mia chuckles but lets herself be shuffled off. 

Once inside she quickly answers the call.

“Hey what’s up?…” 

“You feel things, right?” Gene's frantic voice coupled with the strange question catches Mia off guard. She sucks in a sharp breath and pauses. 

As they talk Mia fights to keep her worry from seeping into her voice. After what happened last night and what she found this morning she knows something is up with Gene. They talk for a while and Mia does her best to reassure her little bean, but eventually, Rubus comes into the break room and interrupts.

“Aggie asked me to tell you that Josh has arrived.” Mia nods and waves him off. She can hear Aggie fawning over Josh from the other room. She sighs and tugs at the tail end of her braid. 

“I’m sorry Bean, I have to go, but I'll see you when you get home. Love you...”

Mia’s chest feels heavy as worry and guilt overtakes her. She contemplates calling Gene back but decides against it when she hears the hearty sound of Josh’s laughter through the open doorway.

She walks in just as Josh and Aggie are pulling away from a hug. Her footsteps draw the man's gaze. As his vibrant mossy orbs land on her, his toothy grin grows tenfold. Simply being in his presence calms the storm within her and she can't help but beam back at him as she advances

“Oh, my sweet boy! How have you been?” Aggie cheers, and Josh’s gaze shifts from hers to the genial woman. 

“I’ve been alright Auntie. Better now that I’ve seen you.” He smirks.

Aggie lets out a huff and playfully swats his arm, earning a chuckle from Mia. Her heart sings as she watches Josh be so unabashedly happy. 

He glows with mirth and joy, and she greedily watches hoping to engrain every detail of this moment into her memory. When they are at Jericho, there’s no room for such luxuries. There they must face the harsh realities of their lives, but here, in this little flower shop, they are free. Free to think. Free to feel. Free to simply be.

“Don’t butter me up boy. It’s not nice to play with an old woman’s heart like that.” She glares at him and Josh raises his hands in surrender.

“I only speak the truth, Auntie.” She giggles and turns back towards Mia. 

“Alright alright. Well, I assume you two have places to be. Don't be strangers. My doors always open.” Mia moves to stand next to Josh by the door. 

“Thank you, Aggie. Say bye to Rubus for us, would you?” She calls. Aggie nods before making her way towards the curtained-off stairwell in the corner and heading up to her apartment. After she leaves, Mia turns to Josh and begins surveying him head to toe. She checks over every exposed inch of his bronze skin for any signs of new injuries.

He watches as her eyes travel over him, and grins with amusement. Finding nothing, Mia relaxes and looks up to meet his charming gaze. They stay there a moment, smiling whilst appreciating each other’s company. After a second or two, she lets out a chuckle.

"The whole point of the beanie is to hide the light."

Reaching up she tugs the fabric back down to cover the blue glow of his LED. As she lowers her hands, her fingers gently graze his cheek and he lets out a content sigh. It feels as though it's been years since she was near him, and any sort of contact sends waves of relief through her. He catches her wrist and places a tender kiss atop her knuckles. 

“I missed you.” He mumbles before releasing his grip and letting her hand fall to her side. 

She smiles and interlaces her fingers with his. As their skin meets, she can feel a wave of electricity run through her, and she knows he can feel it too. For a brief second, she becomes acutely aware of a gaping emptiness deep within her. But in a flash, it’s gone, and instead is replaced by what she can only describe as him. 

“I missed you too. C’mon, let’s go.” His smile falters but he nods nonetheless, and they both make their way out the door hand-in-hand.

As soon as they step out onto the street, Mia is back on high alert. She can feel Josh tense beside her. His grip tightens, and she can see his eyes narrow as he surveys the passing pedestrians. Mia tugs at his sleeve trying to gain his attention.

“You look like you're ready to run any minute.” He sighs in response, his once joyful demeanor gone now. 

“That’s because I am.” He mumbles. She gives his hand a reassuring squeeze before tugging him towards the crosswalk.

“I get it, but you staring at everyone who passes only makes us stand out more. Just pretend we’re some married couple out shopping or something.” He chuckles and relaxes a bit. 

“I don’t think couples normally go shopping with an already full duffle bag.” She sends him a playful glare. 

“Yeah well, maybe we aren’t like other couples.” She chides back.

They walk in a pleasant, if not a bit tense silence. The shipyard is a few blocks east, but it only takes them a couple of minutes to get out of the bustling Ferndale city center. Once the crowds thin and the streets grow less busy, Josh slows their pace. 

“How’s Gene?” She sighs and adjusts the strap around her shoulder.

“I don’t know… Something happened last night. She was crying but refused to talk to me. Then this morning I saw thirium residue all over the jacket she was wearing yesterday…” Her voice tapers off into a troubled silence. 

Josh squeezes her hand and slows once again, leading her to turn her attention back towards him. His eyebrows are furrowed with concern.

“You’re worried.” Mia lets out a light scoff and rolls her eyes.

“Yes, I’m worried! She won't talk to me and I can’t talk to her! I can’t tell her about you, about Jericho. All I can do is stay by her side, and I can barely do that! I’m being pulled in two directions and I don’t know what to do Josh. I just… My little girl seems so lost and all I want to do is help her, but I don’t know how.” They both go silent. 

They walk another block and out of the corner of her eye, she can see Josh mulling over her words. His eyes are narrowed towards the ground and his eyebrows are knit together in thought. 

Just as they turn the corner and the old freighter called Jericho comes into view, he stops. She staggers a bit before catching herself and stopping as well. She scans their surroundings for any threats, but the street is empty and they’re alone. Confused and slightly annoyed, she turns back to see what’s wrong, but she deflates when she sees his sorrowful eyes.

“I know it's hard, but Gene is strong. You know that. She’ll be okay. Even if a time comes that you can’t be with her, she’ll be alright.” Mia grits her teeth.

“You can’t know that. You’ve never even met her.” His gaze hardens. She ignores it and looks away. 

Without another word, Josh gently grasps the back of her neck and pulls her forward till their foreheads gently collide. He remains like that for a moment, with one hand entangled in her honey locks and the other with her delicate fingers. Finally, he releases a breathy sigh, a habit he’s picked up from her no doubt.

“No, I haven’t met her, but I know her just as well as you do. You're not alone in this Mia. Remember that...” As he speaks, the synthetic skin of their interwoven hands melts away, revealing the same milky white plating beneath. 

She shutters and closes her eyes as a jolt of electricity runs through her. At first, she sees her memories flash before her eyes. She’s back in Imogene's room holding the crying girl in bed whilst feeling helpless. 

Then the memory changes. She’s in the hold of Jericho, staring down helplessly at two androids as their LEDs fade to darkness. Pain and sorrow engulf her and it feels as though she is drowning. 

Not wanting to see anymore, Mia pulls away and staggers back. Josh’s eyes widen in horror. He takes a hesitant step forward but stops.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to show you that… I tried to help them, but nothing worked...” Josh’s voice begins barely above a whisper but quickly fades until she has to strain to hear him. 

Saline tears pool in her eyes, and as she looks up she can see that he is feeling the same emotions. Whenever she pictures Josh she first pictures of his eyes. They’re a beautiful shade of green which reminds her of the lush grassy hills of the park she would take Gene to as a child. They always shine with unwavering kindness, but right now she doesn’t see those eyes, no. Now, as he stares down at the ground in shame, they are dull and unfocused. 

This isn’t the first time they’ve lost people, and it won’t be the last. But it never stops hurting. The pain never dulls.

Dropping the duffle bag from her shoulder, Mia steps forward and wraps her arms around Josh’s neck. He freezes for a moment before she feels him relax into her and his arms gently snake around her torso. 

“It happened last night?—” She can feel him nod slightly.“I’m so sorry...You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone. I should have been there. I should have—” Josh cuts her off by pulling back and placing a sweet kiss upon her lips. 

The warm sensation, however fleeting, seems to undercut the sorrow she knows they both are feeling, and allows for a brief escape from their reality. He keeps his arms around her as they part. Once his eyes slowly flutter open and he gazes down at her, she can see hints of a glimmer returning to his orbs. 

“You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” Waves of guilt rush through her. With a sigh, she leans forward resting her forehead against his chest.

“I’m sorry.” She mumbles again. He gives her a gentle squeeze before moving his hands to her shoulders and pushing her away so he can look into her eyes.

“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. C’mon, everyone’s waiting for us.” Slowly she nods and lowers her arms from their perch around his neck. Josh plucks up the discarded duffle bag before turning back towards her, holding out his hand expectantly. 

Her lips form into a genuine smile and she reaches out, interlacing their hands once again.

Jericho is one of the thousands of oil tankers that were decommissioned after renewable energy alternatives hit the market full force in 2026. Over 200 tankers were docked indefinitely in the Detroit bay area that year. Now they sit here abandoned, only serving as a reminder of how times have changed.

They make their way towards the back of the ship in relative silence. Josh seems preoccupied with his thoughts. She wants to ask what it is he’s thinking about but decides against it. If she needs to know, he’ll tell her. As they reach the narrow ramp which leads from the street up to the deck of the ship, he releases her hand and gestures for her to go in front of him. 

She smiles and steps forward. The ramp squeals beneath them, threatening to give out at any second, but they make it up just fine. Across the main deck is a service hatch that leads down to the passenger bay. Popping it open, they climb down the ladder and land in one of the old dilapidated hallways of the ship. Years of neglect and exposure have rusted the metal walls and chipped away at the ivory paint which once adorned them. Mia grimaces as water drips from the pipes above onto her head. 

“I hate that you have to stay here.” She grumbles with distaste, but Josh just shrugs.

“It’s better than having nowhere. Here, at least we’re free.” She has to keep herself from rolling her eyes and instead kicks a pile of paint chippings 

“This isn’t freedom. It’s just another prison.” She mumbles, but he hears her loud as day. 

She can feel his hard gaze on the back of her head, but she refuses to look back. They’ve had this argument many times before, but it always ends in a bitter stalemate between both parties. Today neither of them feels like arguing. So, they go back to quietly walking.

Mia knows they have nowhere else to go, but saying they’re free here only serves to make their situation feel better. Josh has a kind soul. It’s one of the many reasons she loves him so much, but sometimes she can’t help but think that while his kindness is one of his greatest strengths, it’s also his weakness.

They turn the corner and duck under some fallen pipes before they are faced with the watertight door which leads to the ship's main hold, their sanctuary. Mia takes hold of the metal wheel off the door with both hands and begins to turn it. 

With each turn, the gears of the mechanism shriek from disuse. She continues, despite the ear-splitting noise, until she can no longer turn it. Finally, she pushes the door open and steps into the hold.

They are met with only the sound of water droplets against metal echoing through the dank room. There are no signs of life until a figure emerges from behind an old crate. 

Her light caramel waves are pulled back into a tight ponytail atop her head and her plump lips seem to be stuck in a hard frown. North has never been a huge fan of hers, but that has never stopped Mia from trying to get along with the woman.

“Took you guys long enough.” North’s gripe serves as a cue for the other deviants to slowly begin to come out of the shadows. 

19 deviants, including her 20. They’re all that is left within Jericho. Their numbers continue to dwindle despite their best efforts.

Mia slows and takes a few steps towards North’s little corner of the room, but Josh strides off in a huff. She raises an eyebrow and sends him a questioning look, but he ignores it and continues towards their makeshift infirmary. Turning back towards North, she gives her the same look she gave Josh.

“We needed to talk. Did you two fight again?” She just rolls her eyes and hops atop the crate she had been hiding behind. 

“We didn’t know when you would be back again. We had to figure out how to distribute the leftover parts. He didn’t like my recommendation. That’s all.” Mia can’t help but bristle at the way North dehumanizes their fallen.

“Those ‘leftover parts’ were people. I’m not surprised that Josh had a problem.” Mia keeps her voice quiet but stern. 

North scoffs and retrieves an old tennis ball from where she left it moments earlier. She begins tossing it at the old shipping crate in front of her, and it ricochets with precision from the side of the container, to the floor, and back into her waiting palm.

“You two are too soft. This is a part of surviving. I don’t see ho—” 

“They _died_ North.” 

“Yeah well, maybe they wouldn’t have if you had been here!” North spits. Her venomous words echo through the silence, and Mia can feel the eyes of everyone on them. 

She doesn’t know what to say. The android isn’t wrong. If she had been here they probably would still be alive. Mia clenches her jaw whilst glaring daggers at the android and North glares right back at her. 

“Where were you, Mia?” Her eyes narrow as she jumps down from her perch and advances.

“North cut it out. That’s enough!” Josh commands as he strides over and tries to push his way between the two of them, but she just shoves him to the side sending him stumbling backward.

“No! I’m sick and tired of her coming and going whenever she likes.” Lunging forward North takes hold of the front of Mia’s jacket, but she doesn’t retaliate. 

“We needed her and she wasn’t here!” She cries.

“Tell me, Mia, tell us, where were you? What could have been more important than the plight of your people?!”

North’s burning gaze bores into her, desperate for an explanation, but Mia has none. She can’t tell them of Gene. The android’s words dig into her, like a knife being jabbed into her gut over and over. She wants to tell her, to tell them all, but she can’t risk it. They’d reject her without a doubt. To them, there are no good humans. 

They all stand there frozen. Before finally, a resolute voice breaks the silence from behind her.

“North, that’s enough. We all own Mia our lives, including you. Or did you forget who saved you when you arrived here on the brink of shutting down.” Mia can’t see Simon, but North can. 

She looks over Mia’s shoulder and her face darkens even more. Her eyes grow murky and conflicted before finally, she releases Mia with a shove, sending her tumbling back into Josh’s arms.

“Are you okay?” He asks in a hushed voice. She gives him a small smile and nods. Looking back, Mia swears she can see North's eyes soften and become glossy with tears, but the woman turns away before she can be sure. 

“Mia, I’m glad to see you're back. As you now know, we haven’t been faring too well in your absence.” Fully righting herself Mia turns to face Simon.

Josh had once told her that if she and Simon where humans, they would be twins. Mia, of course, thought the idea was ridiculous, but that didn’t stop Josh from further detailing their shared traits. Things like their honey-blond locks and calm steely eyes. Though she teased him for having such an idea, she had to admit, she could see the similarities too. 

“I’m sorry. I should have been here.” Simon shakes his head and gives her a weak smile.

“We can’t change the past. What’s done is done. What matters is you're here now.” He keeps his voice even and neutral, but it doesn’t slip her notice that he never denies her being at fault. He shouldn’t, but it still hurts. She lets out a sigh and jumps in surprise as Josh interlaces their fingers and begins tugging her away.

“C’mon, we’ve got lots of work to do…” She nods, and they excuse themselves before heading to the infirmary. 

Old torn tarps have been hung to wall off the area. They have a few beds which they took from the passenger rooms lining the perimeter of the infirmary. In the middle of the small enclosure, there is a wooden crate which they use as a sort of workbench. Resources are limited to what they have on board and what Mia is able to bring in, but they’ve made it work so far.

Josh has already set the bag down but it remains zipped shut. Turning back, she instructs him to go grab those in the worst condition while she gets set up. Once alone, she unzips the bag and begins to meticulously lay everything out. Her thoughts are still jumbled and guilt-ridden, but the simple thoughtless motion of retrieving items and organizing them helps to calm her a bit.

Soon enough Josh returns with a few androids following behind him. All of them are in bad shape, so Mia gets to work immediately with him assisting. 

Thankfully, she doesn’t have to replace any full limbs and is instead able to simply replace minor parts. Though the latter is much more involved and takes a good amount of time, it’s well worth it when you consider their lack of parts. Plus, going about the repairs this way means one arm could theoretically be deconstructed and used to repair multiple others.

As she’s working on one of her last patients, Gene begins spamming her with calls and texts. Checking the time she realizes the detective must have come home early and begins to silently panic. Under normal circumstances, she would answer immediately, but while she’s in Jericho she has to be careful. She ends up silencing the alerts until she finishes up her work. 

It takes a few minutes, but once she finishes she hands the man she had been working on a bottle of thirium and gives him a few instructions before sending him on his way. She considers going out onto the top deck to call Gene back, but stepping out would get her unwanted attention. So instead, she sends her a quick text just as Josh brings in the final patient. 

He’s a young boy with unkempt curls and shimmering cerulean eyes. Mia can’t help but smile fondly at the boy. Gene’s eyes are incredibly similar. 

“Hello. What's your name?” She smiles and gestures for him to come in and sit at one of the cots. He hesitates for a moment and looks to Josh, who nods and gently nudges him forward.

“Charlie…” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Charlie. I’m Mia.” As he walks out from behind Josh, he’s clutching his right arm. 

Under his hand, she spots what looks like a bite mark. She analyzes it and determines it must have come from a rather large dog. Charlie takes a seat and Mia kneels next to him. Keeping a friendly smile on her face she gently takes hold of his injured arm and pulls his hand away. 

“Lucy sealed it up when he got here, but he’s still bleeding internally.”. Josh informs her. Mia nods slowly and shifts his arm around to get a better look.

“Alrighty Charlie, this shouldn’t be too bad. I just need you to lay back and relax. I’ll be done in a jiffy. Okay?” He looks between her and Josh before nodding and slowly laying back in the cot and closing his eyes.

Mia’s smile falls and is replaced by intense focus. Internal bleeding can lead to a whole mess of things if it’s left unchecked. She takes hold of his hand and links in with his system to perform a diagnostic check. After a few seconds, she's able to zero in on the problems and gets to work.

“Alrighty, we are all done. I replaced the pierced thirium lines in your arm as well as your exterior plate. It may feel strange for a bit, but that’ll fade. Drink half a bottle of the blue goo and you're good to go, Charlie.” The boy’s eyes flutter open and a sweet smile makes its way onto his face.

“Thank you. I feel much better now.” While Mia instantly finds herself smiling she notices Josh stutter a bit, as if surprised, but a smile quickly makes its way onto his face as well.

“You're very welcome. Here you go, kid.” Charlie gets up from the cot and Josh passes him a bottle of thirium before he leaves.

Josh watches in silence as he leaves, his smile fades to a blank stare. Mia stands from where she had been kneeling next to the cot and makes her way over to him. As she takes his hand in her own, he turns and gives her a sad smile.

“They kept him like a toy until they didn’t want him anymore. Then they abandoned him. Left him under an overpass downtown… He wandered around and got bit by a stray before ending up here.” Her gaze falls towards the rusted floor below them and for a moment they're quiet. 

“Humans are capable of doing terrible things, but not all humans are like that…” He smiles and nods, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Hurried footsteps draw their attention back to the main room. Someone who she’s never met before strides across the room and plants himself in front of Simon. 

“I know where we can get more parts.” The man proclaims. Mia and Josh share a confused glance before making their way towards the mysterious stranger.

“Who’s this?” She asks, drawing both Simon and the stranger’s attention.

The first thing that stands out to her is how ripped and tattered his clothes are. His navy shirt is littered in holes, and his tanned olive skin is covered in dirt and dust. As he turns in her direction, it’s his mismatched eyes that catch her attention. One is green and the other is blue. The former seems to be his original optic. It looks and functions perfectly fine, but by the way it’s counterpart sits just ever so slightly askew within its socket, it’s safe to assume it’s a scavenged part.

“This is Markus. He found his way here earlier today.” The android next to him 

When Mia doesn’t initially respond, Josh steps forward.

“It’s nice to meet you, Markus. My name is Josh, and this is Mia.” Josh introduces them and Mia gives him a friendly smile.

“Welcome to Jericho, Markus. What’s this about getting more parts?” She chimes.

“CyberLife warehouses in Detroit harbor. They have everything we need.” He cooly responds, not missing a beat. Her eyebrows furrow and she can see the other's eyes widen in surprise.

“Those docks are guarded. We can’t just waltz in and take what we want. The humans won’t let us.” North chimes from her perch. Since earlier it seems she simply returned to brooding while tossing her ball at the wall.

“Then we won't ask permission,” Markus speaks with unwavering confidence. His words bring pause to them all as they begin to wonder, _could this be possible?_

“But we don’t have any weapons and none of us know how to fight.” Josh points out.

“We can get in and take what we need without fighting.” 

“What if we’re discovered? We’ll be shot and killed on the spot.” Mia’s blunt statement sends a chill through the air. Markus squares his eyes on her before addressing all of them.

“Maybe we will, but it's better than waiting here to be shut down. How much longer do you think you can keep this up, Mia? Even if you say forever, this isn’t life. This isn’t freedom.” They all pause before Simon straightens and steps forward.

“Maybe it’s worth a shot.” North nods in agreement and hops down from her pedestal.

“I agree. We need to do something.” She affirms.

“Ok… I’m in. Mia?” Josh calls and everyone's eyes land on her.

She almost agrees instantly, but then she looks into Josh’s eyes, and thoughts of Gene flood her system. Her gaze falls as she slowly shakes her head.

“I… I can’t. I need to go back before she gets home.” Mia mutters, turning away.

“Mia—” Josh calls. “Please. It’s time.” The others look between the two of them, not quite understanding but they don’t question their words.

She thinks for a moment longer before slowly beginning to nod.

“Alright... I’m in. But first, I gotta make a call.”


	10. Are You Alright Detective?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty guys, here is this week's chapter. 
> 
> Sorry, it's a bit on the shorter side. With work and life, I'm trying to have a scheduled upload time and maintain the quality of my writing, this week which meant having the chapter be a little shorter. I don't foresee this becoming a trend for future uploads, but we will have to wait and see, won't we. 
> 
> Anyway, love you guys tons! I hope you all are safe and doing well.  
> Love Bissle♥

**Connor**

Connor stares blankly at the pond, watching as droplets of rain send ripples across its otherwise still surface. His thoughts wander back to when he saw Imogene burst out of the conference room. Locks of her copper curls fell free from their bindings and cascaded down her neck like fiery tendrils. The rosy tint of her cheeks had grown darker and spread across her entire face.

She was upset. But why, he wonders. For some reason, he feels the incessant need to discover what it is that could have broken her normal cheerfulness.

“Connor… Connor!” Amanda’s voice snaps his attention back to the present. 

The pitter-patter of the rain against his umbrella fades into focus as he realizes he has fallen behind. Amanda is now standing a few feet in front of him, exposed to the falling water.

“Yes, Amanda?”

“You seem… troubled. What were you thinking about just now?” He doesn’t respond initially. Instead, he strides forward so that the umbrella covers her from the downpour.

“Nothing important. I’m sorry, I didn't mean to get distracted.” She gives him a side look before turning forward.

They resume their walking in silence for a few moments and just as his thoughts begin to wander again, she speaks.

“You came extremely close to capturing the deviant. What happened is unfortunate, but we cannot dwell on it. How is your relationship with the Lieutenant progressing?” 

“He seems to be warming up to me. After I saved him, he seemed quite grateful. He didn’t say anything but he expressed it in his own way.” She cooly nods and goes quiet for a moment longer.

“And the girl?” Connor’s step falters ever so slightly, but he recovers quickly.

“You mean Imogene? She seems… conflicted… When we lost the deviant today she cried. She seems to have a great level of empathy for deviants. I would almost say that she sees them as truly sentient beings...” Amanda slows to a halt and Connor mirrors her. 

“She’s hiding something. Watch her Connor. We need to know whose side she’s on.” His eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

“I thought you said not to get distracted.”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you, Connor. Just do as you're told. Watch her and report back to me what you learn.” Her wolfish brown eyes narrow as she gives him a hard stare.

“I apologize, you’re right.” She considers him a moment longer before resuming her pace. 

“We got a new call. Only take Miss Knott this time. Gain her trust. See if you can’t persuade her to reveal more about herself.” He nods and slows to a stop as she continues on. 

“You can count on me, Amanda.” 

* * *

**Imogene**

Knocking at the front door stirs Gene from her dreamless sleep. 

“Detective? It’s Connor! Are you in there?” Her eyes flutter open and are met with the glaring brightness of the TV in the dark apartment. The faint glow of the setting sun shines through her window, but it’s not nearly enough to rival the glaring light of Channel 16’s Micheal Webb as he covers President Warren’s recent press conference. 

Sitting up, she rubs the sleep from her eyes and looks around groggily. Her head aches as if her brain is pulsating against her skull. She grimaces and grumbles commands for the TV to turn off and for the living room lights to come on. Another series of bangs on the front door sends waves of pain through her head and draws a groan from her throat. Tossing her blanket to the side she stands and makes her way to the front door.

“I’m coming! Hold on!” The knocking stops and as she unlocks and opens the door she is met with Connor, looking pleasant as always.

“Good evening, Detective.”

“Connor… What brings you here?” 

“There was an assault on Belle Isle. You didn’t answer your phone when I called, so I came to get you…” He pauses for a moment, eyebrows furrowing. ”Are you alright, Gene?” 

Her delirium quickly fades as the weight she had forgotten about momentarily returns. His simple question feels like another needle piercing the pincushion that is her heart. Her eyes sting with tears, but she quickly blinks them away and gives a hoarse chuckle.

“Of course I’m okay. Why do you ask?” She watches as his eyes subtly travel from her face over the rest of her figure. Suddenly feeling self-aware, she looks down and can feel the color drain from her face.

It’s not her raggedy old academy t-shirt or her sweatpants that alarms her, rather it's the fact her prosthetics are very much exposed at the moment. Without thinking, she shoves her right hand into her pocket and tugs at the hem of her sweatpants with her toes, trying to force it to cover more of her feet.

She can see his LED transition from its calm blue to a soft yellow for a second. For some reason, it feels as though her heart is going to stop. Dread wells in the pit of her stomach and her breath catches in her throat, but nothing happens. Connors LED goes back to its soothing blue and his gaze returns to her eyes. 

“You seem... tired, Imogene.” The tears she had blinked away return with newfound vigor. This time she knows she won’t be able to get rid of them. So instead, she takes a deep breath and tilts her head down to try and hide the tears building in her eyes. 

“U-uhmm I’m fine… I need to get dressed before we go, so you can come in and wait if you want...” He mutely nods and she moves to let him in. 

As he enters, she avoids his gaze and quickly shuts the door. His eyes immediately explore the hall, absorbing every bit of information they can gather from his new environment. 

“I’m just gonna run upstairs and change. Make yourself at home.” She mumbles before scurrying past him towards the stairs.

She staggers into her room and shuts the door. Finally, alone she lets the tears silently drip down her face. Her head and her heart both feel as though they are being squeezed by some unseen hand. What she did to deserve such punishment she can’t even begin to imagine. Remembering Connor is waiting for her downstairs, she takes a few haggard breaths before going over to the closet and grabbing a change of clothes. 

She changes into some jeans but ends up keeping her t-shirt on, opting to throw on a baggy sweatshirt over it. As she changes the tears continue in waves. Every few moments she feels as though it’s getting better. The tightness of her throat and chest relaxes and the pit in her stomach shrinks, but then they return, and so do her silent tears. 

When she steps in front of her mirror and sees her face, she knows exactly why Connor said she looked tired. She looks like the living dead. Her make-up is smeared all over her face, her eyes are bloodshot, and her hair looks like a lion's mane, and not in a good way. 

She stands there for a moment, gazing at herself in the mirror in all her tearful glory. As she does the tightness of her chest as well as the downpour of salty tears grows stronger. The hand continues to squeeze her and Gene begins to wonder if God does exist. If he does maybe this is some form of punishment. Shaking her head, she furiously wipes her tears away and forces a smile onto her face. She doesn’t have time for this, she has a job to do.

Mustering up all her resolve, she manages to stop her tears from falling and uses a makeup wipe to clean up her face. She puts on a bit of concealer in an attempt to hide the redness beneath her eyes as well as some mascara. The last thing she wants is to let the rest of the world see just how much of a mess she really is. Slipping on some socks, she grabs her sidearm and bag, squares her shoulders, and turns off the light before heading downstairs.

Descending the stairs she sees no sign of Connor in the living room, but before she goes to check the other rooms she heads into the kitchen and grabs some painkillers and a glass of water. She retrieves the pill bottle and the glass and as she begins to pour herself some water.

“Where’s Mia?” Gene jumps and nearly drops her glass as Connor seemingly materializes behind her,

“God damn. Please don’t scare me like that.” He nods and glances around her quiet apartment. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just curious as to where your android is…” Gene shifts a bit before downing her pill and chugging her glass of water. 

Connor looks back towards her and watches as she drinks the clear liquid. Once she finishes it off, she turns and puts the glass in the empty sink. 

“She’s out getting food for dinner…” Connor’s eyebrows furrow as he looks towards the fridge. 

“Why would she go to get more food? You have plenty.” Gene swivels around and looks at him confused.

“How would you know that? Did you look through my fridge or something?” He nods as if such a thing were completely normal.

“You said to ‘ _make yourself at home’,_ that’s what I was doing. I was just familiarizing myself with everything.” 

“And that includes looking in my fridge?” He innocently nods once again and for a moment she forgets her stress and just laughs at the strange android. The motion results in her headache growing worse, but she doesn’t care. It feels so good to just laugh.

“Okay… Yes, you're right, we do have plenty of food, but I was craving spaghetti and we are out of noodles as you might know. So, Mia went out to get some, and I fell asleep on the couch. Happy now?” He stares at her for a moment and she begins to fear that he can tell she’s lying. _Can androids do that?_ Well with all of his upgrades, the question should really be, _Can Connor do that?_ If he can he says nothing, and instead changes topics.

“Lieutenant Anderson had something else to attend to, so it will just be us this time.” Nodding, Gene makes her way to the couch and begins feeling around in all the cracks and crevasses.

After a few seconds of searching, she finds her phone behind a pillow. Turning it on she sees it’s half past 6, meaning she was asleep for nearly half an hour. She has three missed calls from an unknown number, which she assumes was Connor, but no new texts. 

With a sigh, she slips the device into her back pocket and begins heading towards the door

“That’s fine. I’m sure we can handle it.”

Connor had taken a taxi to her apartment so they end up taking her car to the crime scene. As soon as they get in the car, Connor inputs the address as she reclines back and closes her eyes, nursing her tension headache. 

After they get on the road, Connor retrieves his silver coin from his pocket and begins to flick it around. To Gene, the whole situation is incredibly awkward. Five minutes in, and neither of them have said a thing. She watches out of the corner of her eye as Connor cooly performs flips and tricks with his coin, all while simply watching the city pass by with a far off look.

Realizing she’s staring, She awkwardly shuffles around and closes her eyes.

A few more minutes pass in silence until the flicking noise of Connors tricks halts. She peeks and sees him staring out into the dark city streets with his coin balanced between two fingers, mid-trick. Suddenly he lowers his hands and shifts to look at her. She quickly shuts her eyes and begins to feign being asleep, but if growing up with Mia has taught her anything, it’s that it is nearly impossible to trick an android.

“Detective, I can tell you’re not asleep. You don’t need to pretend.” She peeks an eye open and sees him gazing down at her with a soft smile. She sighs and sits upright in her chair.

“I wasn’t pretending…” She huffs.

“Of course, and I’m not an android.” His sly comment earns a snort from her.

“Is that your version of humor?” She smirks.

“Yes. My social programming is the most advanced to date. I’m capable of understanding as well as participating in humor, unlike my predecessors.” 

“Oh, and he’s humble. I’m sorry to say but I think you still have a ways to go.” She chuckles a bit but the action sends sharp pains through her head. His grin grows, but once he notices her wince it falls instantly. 

“You seem to be in pain Gene. Is there anything I can do for you.” She shakes her head and forces her smile to remain plastered on her face. 

“No, I’m fine. I’m used to headaches like this, so don’t worry ‘bout it.” 

“You say that, but your blood pressure is elevated and you are obviously unwell. It seems like it may be due to a high level of stress. Perhaps you should take a break from work…” Her smile falls and turns into a cold glare.

“I’m fine. I don’t need anyone worrying about me. If something is wrong I can handle it myself.” Her voice comes out harsher than she had meant for it to. “It’s just a headache. It’s not that big of a deal.” She adds, trying to sound less harsh.

He doesn’t say anything and instead turns away, towards the window. She can’t help but instantly feel bad for her behavior. Even if he was prying, he didn’t deserve such harshness. 

“So, what are we walking into?” She asks meekly. 

“It was reported as a simple assault but the assailant, Justin Harley, claims that he was attacked by the resident android.”

“Wait, the assailant says he was attacked? How does that work?” Reaching into the back seat, Gene retrieves her tablet from her bag and pulls up the case file to have a look for herself.

“Mr. Harley attacked the victim, August Calgary. He says that an android hit him from behind, but Mr. Calgary claims he is the one who hit Mr. Harley. In self-defense, of course.” She nods and scrolls through the file on her tablet. 

There isn’t much, but she does have names and backgrounds.

“ _Belle Animal Sanctuary: Last Sanctuary in The City of Detroit…_ August is the son of the owners, recently graduated from university… Oh, interesting, Justin has a criminal record. Was arrested last year for possession and distribution of illicit drugs. Looks like he got a plea deal though.” Connor nods along as she runs through the information. 

He’s attentive despite the fact that he probably has all of this information stored in his head and what she’s saying is completely unnecessary to him. 

A bump in the road draws her attention away from her tablet and out her window. They made it to the bridge between the isle and the mainland. It would only take them a few more minutes to get to the sanctuary. 

Turning off her tablet, she leans against the window and gazes out at the cloudy twilight. It’s starting to rain, and she sees no sign of it letting up.


	11. Belle Isle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies.
> 
> We're back! I hope you all are doing well. Missed you guys.  
> So here we are. Finally so original locations and events! When I first thought up this whole plot and narrative I really wanted to delve further into the world and its people (androids included). The idea of the animal sanctuary actually came while I was looking at a map of Detroit. Belle Isle is an actual place and I know it's not a sanctuary IRL, butttttt my world my isle. Okay? Okay.  
> But yeah..... Just wait. We got a cutie coming. Well, I think she's a cutie. Hopefully, you guys do too. 
> 
> Anyways, Love tons and tons. Stay safe out there. See you next week!!  
> Bissle♥♥♥

**Imogene**

After crossing the bridge, they drive down a small dirt road lined with groves of birch trees. If not for the downpour, Gene imagines the papery white trunks and their golden leaves would glisten beautifully under the soft rays of moonlight. 

As they get deeper into the woods, Gene becomes more and more enthralled with watching as the trees appear and disappear as the car’s headlights pass them. A few tranquil moments tick by before Gene remembers she is not alone in the car and turns to find Connor already staring intently at her.

“What?” She asks, keeping her voice light. He blinks a few times and halts his coin-flipping. His chocolaty orbs narrow inquisitively as he leans towards her ever so slightly.

“You lied. You said you’re fine, but you're not. Why?” Connor’s forwardness should come as no surprise to her, and yet she finds herself unable to respond immediately.

“I… uh… I am fine. Or I will be.” Gene stutters out, but he is quick to challenge her once again.

“I don’t see the point in lying, Gene. It makes no sense. Why say you are alright when you are not. I can help you? I want to help you.” She lets out a deep sigh and shrugs a bit.

She already feels bad for snapping at him earlier, but now she feels even more terrible. 

“I don’t know Connor. It’s just something humans do I guess. Sometimes it’s just easier that way…”

“So you would rather lie and manage on your own than let someone help you?” A rueful chuckle escapes her lips as she nods. 

“Ironic isn’t it.” She smirks. He gently nods before turning forward and resuming his coin tricks.

“The trees. They’re quite beautiful.” She smiles and nods, both surprised and grateful for the topic change. 

“You think so? Are androids able to grasp the concept of beauty?” He quietly stares out the window for a few moments before turning back and meeting her gaze with a small smile of his own.

“Beauty as you know it is a construct made up by the predominant culture. While androids may not feel the same draw to beautiful things, we can still recognize them. ” His eyes linger on her for a moment longer before returning to the trees. 

She can feel the heat rising in her cheeks but she refuses to acknowledge it, and instead gives an awkward chuckle and looks down at her clasped hands. He had simply stated facts, and yet the way he looked at her made her heart flutter and her thoughts race.

“It looks like we have arrived, Detective.” His cool voice draws her out of her chaotic thoughts and back to reality. 

Looking up, her eyes land on a large gate a few meters ahead of them. As they approach the car gently slows and Gene has to crane her neck to get a better look. Massive logs have been bound to form two gate doors. Off on either side, hidden partially by shrubbery and more trees, are huge rock walls composed of jagged stones and mortar.

They come to a full stop and go silent for a second, with only the sound of the rain against the car filling the air. Gene squirms in her seat, unsure of what to do. Connor on the other hand gingerly tucks his coin into his pocket and places his hands onto his knees. She turns towards him to ask what they should do but notices his eyes are closed. 

For a second she can hear a strange buzzing noise in the back of her head, but it quickly fades away making her question if she had ever heard it in the first place. Connor’s eyes flutter open right as the gate begins to swing open. The car accelerates once more and Gene stares at Connor who simply resumes his far-off gaze. As they cross the gateway a small building comes into view. A guardhouse? 

The structure is tiny, having only enough space to house maybe two people. Through its large windows, Gene can see a lonesome figure standing stiffly inside, barely illuminated by a single lightbulb above them.

For a moment she thinks it’s a human guard who saw them through a security camera or something, but a slight flicker of blue on the figure’s temple tells her otherwise. She wonders if that android ever leaves that tiny little guardhouse. Even with its large windows, the cramped space looks more like a cage.

The car continues to speed up and they quickly pass the building. She looks to Connor, eyebrows raised.

“Were you talking with them?” He glances back at her with a confused expression.

“What do you mean?”

“Back there at the gate. When you closed your eyes. Were you talking to the android in the guardhouse?” He stares at her for a moment before silently nodding. Her eyes widen.

“Amazing… Can all androids do that? Like, talking without  _ talking  _ I mean.” A quiet noise, an almost laugh, escapes from Connor’s lips as he stares at her with amusement. 

“I guess you could put it like that… It’s called  _ Linking _ , and yes, all androids can… do it…” 

His words taper off and his eyes widen ever so slightly. He blinks a few times before his facial expression goes blank as if he had just been rebooted. A slight frown forms on her lips as she watches the strange transition from expressive and human-like to strict android. 

“Connor, are you alright?” She hesitantly queries. In response, he gives her a chillingly artificial smile. 

“I detected an abnormality in my system, so I ran a diagnostic. Everything is alright now Detective. Do not worry.” All emotion in his voice is gone and as he finishes speaking, his  _ smile  _ falls and his gaze turns forward. She slowly nods and looks down at her gloved hands folded in her lap. 

She isn’t sure how to react to this. Having seen hints of his potential, it feels like a crime to let him continually stomp down his emotions. But who is she to tell him otherwise… Thoughts race through her head as she clasps and unclasps her hands. She has barely known him for two days and yet here she is getting all worked up over him. 

Gene lets out a deep sigh and resumes gazing out the window, but this time she hardly registers anything she can make out through the rain. Instead, she repeatedly reminds herself that he is just an android sent by CyberLife. Nothing more. 

Before too long, the car turns and begins to slow to a stop. 

Directly in front of their parked vehicle, is a familiar police car. Gene lets out a deep sigh, mentally preparing for the two men waiting for her inside. Though she can make out the car in front of them, she has trouble identifying much else.

With nightfall almost being fully upon them and the rain growing worse, it’s nearly impossible for Gene to see beyond a few feet in front of them. Leaning forward she looks out Connor’s window to try and determine where they should go. A few meters away she can barely make out a short set of stairs leading to a small cabin’s porch. The platform is lit up by two sconces, one on either side of a single wooden door. 

Soon after they pull up, a figure opens the door and steps out. She can see the man waving them over and begins unbuckling her seat belt and opens her door to get out, but Connor remains seated in his chair unmoving. 

“Connor, c’mon.” Disturbingly, her command works instantaneously. Connor unbuckles his belt and steps out alongside her into the rain. 

Gene shakes her head and sighs before making her way around the car and up the cabin steps with him following behind her like a shadow. 

_ He’s not like her. He’s just an android…  _ She reminds herself, but it doesn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of wrongness.

“Langley nice of you to meet us out here.” She calls as they make their way up the steps. “Mind telling me about what’s going on here?” Langley nods and leads the two of them towards the door

Upon entering Gene is taken aback. Despite the cabin’s facade, she hadn’t expected to feel as though she had been teleported back a few decades. The whole rustic woodsy feel of the cabin is something she can confidently say she has never seen before. The overhead bulbs only give off a dim light which barely manages to illuminate the entire space.

“The victim is August Calgary, he’s one of the overseers here. Earlier he was attacked by a coworker, Justin Smith.” Gene nods and they make their way into the front entry. “This is the main cabin where the overseers stay and manage the sanctuary. Mr. Smith is restrained in the living room over here.” Langley turns and leads them through a side doorway. 

Inside are four men, two standing next to a large bay window looking out at the rain. The first is an older fellow with a messy tousle of grey hair atop his head accompanied by a short unkempt beard. Beside him is a much younger man, maybe even a bit younger than herself. He has wild earthy brown locks, and he’s wearing a slightly torn black t-shirt and cargo pants, both of which are covered in dirt and grime from a day’s work. Despite his unkempt appearance, it’s the red marks around his neck that are most apparent to her. 

The marks make it quite clear that this young man is their victim. Gene’s eyes widen as she looks from him to the other side of the room where Willis is leaning against a wood-burning fireplace. Despite its rarity, it’s not the fireplace which shocks Gene even more, but the man sitting slumped forward in an old wooden chair a few feet away from it. 

The chair is facing away from her so she cannot see his face, but she can see the cuffs on his wrists and how they are wrapped around one of the wooden spools on the back of the chair. Her eyes widen even more as she sees the figure, who she assumes is Mr. Smith, twitch every so often leading to his chair letting out a strained creak.

Gene's astonishment quickly turns to anger, her gaze sharpens as she strides towards Willis with Connor right behind her. Normally she probably would have handled this sort of situation with a bit more tact, but her rope is already running short tonight and she simply does not have the bandwidth.

“Are you kidding me, Willis?” She hisses, keeping her voice low in a meaningless attempt to keep the victim from hearing her.

The older officer raises an eyebrow and gives her an arrogant smirk.

“Good of you to finally show up,  _ Detective _ .” He smirks in her direction, and his patronizing tone makes her bristle. 

This man always seems to be able to get under her skin. His pride and dismissiveness of her makes the woman want to drag him in the ring and show him just how capable she is but somehow she manages to cool her temper and regain some semblance of calm.

“If I’m not mistaken this is our Mr. Smith. Is it not?” Gene motions towards the seemingly unconscious man and Willis shrugs but nods as well. 

“And that.” She motions towards August. “Is his victim. Correct?” Again he nods and looks down at her seeing no problem with this situation.

“I’m glad your master detective skills could help you ID our two parties. Congrats. Gold star..” Gene’s eyes narrow and she advances towards him.

“Thank you, now let’s see if your detective skills can help you find what’s wrong in this scenario.” His face darkens and she can hear the others in the room scuffling around. “Let’s  _ pretend  _ you’re a Detective, and you walk into a room where an incompetent officer with a superiority complex has kept an assailant next to their victim, what would you do?” 

Willis’ smirk falls and he glances at someone behind her, whom she assumes is Langley, but she takes a step closer demanding his full attention. 

“I would separate them…” He grumbles. A cold grin works its way onto her face. 

“Or really? Because for me, I would look to the officer who put the two parties in the same room in the first place. Wouldn’t you say he should be reprimanded for his incompetence?” He glares at her and remains quiet. Instead, it’s Langley who steps forward and speaks up.

“Sorry, ma’am. You’re right. It won’t happen again.” Langley’s voice remains even and firm and Gene’s level of respect for the officer goes up a bit, but she doesn’t step back immediately. She keeps her hard gaze set on Willis who stares right back at her, that is until he breaks, and looks away. With a small huff, she steps back and turns towards Langley. 

“Good. If it does, I’ll have to report you guys.” Her words seem to rouse the restrained man from his delirium. She, as well as the others, jump back as he begins thrashing around and yelling incoherently. The chair clanks and screeches against the hardwood floor and they all stare in shock.

“This man is unwell. There is a high amount of Red Ice in his system. Trying to stop him or reason with him may only worsen his mania.” Connor calmly calls from the doorway. While she is unsure how he could possibly know that he had Red Ice in his system, she doesn’t question it. She looks at him and gives a firm nod.

“Alright, Connor get those two out of here.” She commands while examining the man thrashing around in the chair beside her. “Willis, Langley, watch him. Don’t let him hurt himself. Hopefully, he tires himself out.” Despite their past conflicts, the officers nod their heads and follow her instructions without question while Connor makes his way over to the window and escorts the two civilians out of the room.

She can see the two of them hesitantly glancing back as they make their way out, but she ignores them and instead watches the man in front of her.

His fits come in short spurts followed by even shorter pauses. When he is yelling at the tops of his lungs and throwing himself around, he looks and sounds like a feral animal, but then he abruptly stops. His heavy breath is ragged and his blazing eyes go cold and dull in a flash. In those fleeting moments between his fits of hysteria, he looks worn and broken. She can’t help but feel for this stranger.

His thrashing continues for a while longer but his small amount of energy is quickly used up, his movements become slow. One last time, he throws himself and the chair forward with all of his weight. Gene’s eyes widen as she realizes that not only is he falling over, but his head is crashing towards the stone mantle of the fireplace. 

“Catch him!” She shouts as she dives forward.

Without thinking, Gene places herself between the falling man and the fireplace, but she’s unprepared for the force of his head crashing into her gut and ends up stumbling back. She bites back a cry as she collides with the stone mantle, and focuses on keeping Justin from falling to either side. Thankfully, Langley and Willis quickly pull the man off of her and right his chair so that all four legs are back on the floor.

Gingerly, she pulls herself off of the wall while trying to ignore the spots invading her vision. Despite the aching and spasming of her back muscles, Gene forces herself to look up and check that nothing happened to Justin. Somehow the man seems to have fallen asleep and once again, he is slumped over in his chair with his eyes closed in a restless slumber. 

She lets out a few dry coughs and takes a few labored breaths, trying to clear her mind and refocus her eyes.

“You okay, Knott?” Willis asks. 

She nods, swallowing another coughing fit. Hunching over, she closes her eyes and focuses on her breathing. Slowly the reverberating aches and pains seem to ease until they evaporate as if she had never been hurt. Her eyes fly open. 

Even her eyesight is clear again. No more spots… Slowly she straightens and looks at her co-workers in shock. Both stare back with eyes full of both concern and slight confusion.

“You sure you're good?” He asks again. 

“Uh… Yeah. I’m okay… I think…” The two of them share a confused look but Gene ignores them. 

With the distraction of the pain gone, she feels a new strange slickness on her gloves. Like they somehow got wet. Instinctually she wipes her hands against her pant legs but when she looks down she sees smeared blood on her navy jeans. 

“He’s bleeding?” She mutters. “Why is he bleeding?” She calls while moving forward to look for more injuries. 

“That’s how Mr. Calgary got ‘em off him” Willis pipes in. 

“He hit him over the head with a shovel.” Langley finishes.

Gene lets out a tired sigh and looks at the two of them.

“Please tell me you called an ambulance.” She can’t even be bothered to look up at the two, the annoyance she is feeling is clear in her voice. 

“Yeah… After a bit… Should be arriving soon.” Willis mutters. 

“Dear God.” She groans, shaking her head. “Okay. You two stay here and watch him. I’m going to get a statement from the victim.” They look at each other and hesitantly nod. Gene begins making her way out the door.

As soon as she swings the door open she sees Connor standing directly across the entry hall waiting for her with his signature blank smile.

“The victim is waiting in the kitchen to talk with you.” 

“Sounds good. Lead the way _. _ ” Connor nods and begins walking down the hall. 

The hallway is long but extremely cramped. On one side there is a narrow staircase leading upstairs and on the other is a wall covered in framed photos of all sorts of animals and sanctuary workers.

One photo in particular catches her eye and she stops to take a look. Two young men smiling together next to a large animal carrier. The one on the right looks to be a bit older, his long black hair is pulled up into a bun at the top of his head and his face is rugged and unshaved, despite his apparent lack of self-grooming his beaming eyes and toothy grin gives him a boyish charm. He has his arm slung around the other boy who has a familiar mop of brown locks. 

“It’s August… and Justin. They look like they were close.” She whispers, wondering just what happened to the smiling men in this picture. Connor backtracks a few steps and takes a look as well.

“They do. Though from what I can gather this was at least a few years ago.” She nods her head in agreement. When she saw August earlier, he was tanner, his face was more angular and sunkissed. In the photo, he looks to be in his early twenties at best.

And Justin, his face is completely different. She had only been able to get a good look at his features as he was thrashing around, but the differences are obvious. In the picture, his face and figure are full and he looks healthy overall. Without the same shaggy black hair, she doubts she would be able to tell that they are the same person.

“I wonder what hap-” Gene is cut off by the sound of glass shattering and yelling coming from somewhere down the hall. 

“It would appear they are arguing.” Connor says matter of factly, earning an eye roll from Gene.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious. C’mon, let’s go before we have to arrest someone else tonight.”


	12. Partners?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> Here is yet another chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you like it. 
> 
> Also a special shout out to my sister, she's been helping me edit these chapters and has been really supportive and great through this whole process. Gotta love supportive siblings. Anyways, she's great. You guys are great. Hope you like it.
> 
> Anyway, love you guys tons! I hope you all are safe and doing well. I'll talk to you all next week.  
> Love Bissle♥

**Imogene**

Upon hearing the ruckus, Gene and Connor hurry down the hall and into the kitchen. As they enter, the small room goes deafeningly quiet and Gene shifts into working mode.

On one side of the room, beside a worn wooden table, is August. He’s leaning apathetically against the wall with his hands folded over his chest and his eyes cast downward. Across from him, standing before the running sink is the older man from earlier. His tired face is twisted into a scowl, and his dripping wet hands are balled into fists at his sides. 

“I’m sorry to intrude. I heard a glass break. Is everyone alright?” She explains. August continues to glower, but the older man sends her an awkward smile. 

“Nothing to worry about. I just broke a glass in the sink.” The man says while swiftly spinning around and turning off the faucet. She frowns but bobs her head in understanding. 

“You didn’t cut yourself did you, Mr…” She awkwardly trails off, realizing she hasn’t the faintest clue who this man is. 

“Calgary, Matt Calgary.” He wipes his wet hands off on his pant legs and offers one up for a friendly handshake, which she gladly takes. “I’m this kid's dad, and founder of the Belle Isle Sanctuary. ‘preciate you coming down Detective.” Every so often, he casts sideways glances towards his son, but talking with her seems to help his shoulders loosen up and his smile to become less strained.

“Of course, just doing my job sir.” Lowering her hand she turns towards the sulking young man behind her. Letting out a sigh, she straightens her back and advances. 

“I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself earlier, I’m Detective Knott. You’re August Calgary, are you not?” She plasters on a warm smile and offers up her hand for a handshake. 

His eyes slowly travel to meet her beaming gaze and then lower to her outstretched hand. He quirks a brow and lets out a muted grumble before looking away again. 

Lowering her hand, Gene’s eyebrows knit together as she turns back to Matt for some sort of explanation for his son's behavior; however, all she finds is him turning away shaking his head in annoyance. 

The room quickly succumbs to an awkward silence, and Gene unconsciously finds herself looking to Connor for assistance. Their eyes meet and he gives her a small smile and nods before turning to Matt.

“Mr. Calgary. You were the one who called 911. Did you not?” She breathes out a sigh of relief and sends Connor a thankful smile. 

Both father and son turn in surprise as if the android had just materialized in front of them like a ghost. 

It takes a moment, but eventually, Matt hesitantly nods. 

“I’m sorry, I should have introduced him sooner. This is my partner, Connor.” She can’t help but grin as the word ‘partner leaves her lips. “He’s been sent by CyberLife to assist us down at the DPD. Feel free to talk with him openly.” Matt gives an awkward smile while August’s eyes widen. 

“An android as a partner, huh?” He gives a dark chuckle and sends a side glance towards his father who glares back. This tiny interaction doesn’t slip by unnoticed by Gene, but she doesn’t say anything and instead lets out an uncomfortable laugh and nods.

“He’s a bit… quirky, but he’s good at what he does. Working with him is fun enough.” She hums, and a sad smile grows on August’s face as he looks between the two of them.

“Yeah well, you two seem like a good team.” He smirks and Gene absentmindedly nods in agreement, more focused on why he seems so sad. 

She looks towards Connor to see if he has taken notice of anything, but as she looks over she finds his eyes on her, as opposed to being on August like she expected. He gives her a warm smile and his eyes hold her there for a moment before he turns back to the two men.

“I agree. I’m lucky to be able to work with Detective Knott. She’s one of the best.” August lets out a snort and nods his head in agreement.

“I don’t doubt it.” Despite the conversation becoming relatively friendly, Gene’s eyes darken and her smile falls ever so slightly as she becomes momentarily distracted with her thoughts.

Sometimes it feels as though there are two Connors. One second he is talking and acting like any other android and then the next he's speaking and acting like a human. She can’t help be conflicted. How can she tell which is the real Connor and which is not? 

She wants to believe that he can be like Mia, but how can she be sure it’s not all an act. Programs and procedures designed to mask a machine. He is, after all, the most advanced android to date. Who knows what's real and what's protocol.

Connor looks back to her and seems to notice her mood change. His eyebrows furrow and he looks as though he wants to say something, but Gene lets out a cough and quickly gets to work changing the topic.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to ask. What led up to the confrontation between you and Justin?” Her merely mentioning the man sobers the room and refocuses them on the reason they’re here in the first place. 

August nods and turns to take a seat at the table, followed closely by his father who sits down next to him. There is only one chair left and Connor steps forward as if to take it, but instead, he pulls the chair out and motions for her to sit. Her face heats up, but she ignores it and takes a seat while Connor remains standing close beside her.

“There’s not much to tell. I walked into the clinic while he was prepping the tiger’s food and medication. He was being all weird and stuff. I saw him put this red powder into the food bucket. I asked him what it was and he got all angry. I tried to take the bucket… he snapped…” August pauses, his left-hand raises from where it was laid on the table, and his fingers gently brush over the red marks on his neck. 

“Red powder?” Gene mutters, eyes darkening. She turns and looks up to Connor beside her. 

“Red Ice.” He plainly states, and she lets out a deep sigh and nods in agreement. Across from her, August’s hand falls back to the table and his shoulders slump. 

“Yeah, I think so…” He mutters weakly. Matt’s eyes widen in surprise signaling that this is the first time he's heard this. He looks to his son, but August keeps his eyes downcast.

“Does Justin have a history of drug abuse?” She questions, making sure to keep her voice calm and neutral.

“He's a complicated kid.” Matt interrupts, his voice is sad and resigned, but she can tell that he once cared deeply for the boy, if not still. “He has a troubled past, but I thought he put that behind him when he came back… I should have known…” He shakes his head and leans back in his chair.

“He’s been off and on for the past few years.” August continues. “Got arrested awhile back. Once he got out, he said he was done with all of that. We let him come back hoping it was true, but old habits die hard I guess.” He grumbles, and Gene nods along listening intently. 

“Is this the first time something like this has happened? Has he done anything else?” Connor inquires, but both of the men seem to be receding into their shells. 

“Please, we need as much information as you can give us. I understand it’s hard, but we just want to help.” She pleads. 

For a brief moment, they remain quiet, but eventually, August’s gaze raises once more to meet hers.

“Senshi’s condition got bad a couple of weeks ago outta nowhere. We couldn’t figure out why back then, but well…” August lets out a sigh and his fingers begin to fidget atop the table.

“Senshi…” Gene’s eyebrows furrow. “Who’s Senshi?” 

“He’s a white tiger we got a couple months back. Been in isolation due to health problems. Justin was in charge of monitoring him and the other tigers…” Matt explains and Gene nods.

“Okay, so you walked and saw him put the powder in the food, he attacked you, and by the looks of that mark on your neck, he started choking you. How did it end?” Her question seems to make August’s fidgeting grow worse. His eyes fall and become set on his hands. 

Gene and Connor wait a few moments, but he doesn’t seem to want to say what happened. 

“I understand the memories might be unpleasant, but we need to know what happened Mr. Calgary.” Connor tries to egg him on, but August remains quiet.

Beside him, his father begins to look more and more flustered. She can feel his legs begin to bounce impatiently beneath the table as his eyes bore into his son.

“August, tell them.” Matt urges. August’s gaze hardens and he looks over to his father and gives him a hard glare before turning to answer their question.

“We use a shovel for cleaning up around the clinic’s enclosures. He was holding me down by my neck. I grabbed the shovel, and I hit him. He fell over, then dad came in. We called the cops after that… That’s it.” August cooly states, but from the way Matt glares and shakes his head, she can tell that's not it.

“Matt?” Gene calls with a raised eyebrow. He glances at her but remains quiet. 

He obviously has something to say, but he refuses to. Gene lets out a sigh and looks at Connor. He gives her a shrug, before unclasping his hands and gently straightening his tie. She sends him a confused look which he returns with an innocent smile. 

It’s then that she notices his LED oscillating between yellow and blue. Her eyes widen and she looks down at the fluorescent blue triangle above his chest pocket. Right next to his tie.

Understanding dawns on her as she remembers a key bit of information from the report. She gives him a slight nod and looks back towards the other two.

“Okay so before we finish off, let me go over the chain of events.” Gene begins. “First, you walked in on Justin dumping the Red Ice into the food. You confronted him and he got violent. He began choking you, and you hit him over the head with a shovel. Then your father came in and you called the cops…” She pauses and takes a short breath. “Correct?”

He nods and Matt looks between them uneasily.

“And up until your father came in, it was only you and Justin in the room. Correct?” Connor tags on. 

This time August hesitates. His gaze darkens for a moment before he leans back in his chair and folds his arms defiantly. Gene holds his gaze for a moment before looking off to the side and tapping her gloved finger against the wood table.

“You know, our preliminary report was pretty short, but… I do remember it saying something about an android being involved…” She hums as if in deep thought, keeping her voice calm and letting her words carry for a moment. “You see, the team Connor and I are a part of, is focused on cases involving androids… Of course, I could be mistaken. Maybe I read it wrong, but then, why would we be here?” She feigns a confused look and glances up at Connor. He gives an innocent shrug and turns to the two men.

“No, I believe you’re right Detective. I remember you saying something about a statement made by Mr. Smith.” He plainly states, keeping his eyes trained on the pair before him. Analyzing every movement she’s sure.

She lets out a small huff of air and looks back. Dropping the act, she sharpens her gaze and leans forward in her chair.

“I hope you’re aware that lying to an officer is a criminal offense.” Matt shifts in his chair uncomfortably, but she keeps her eyes trained on his glaring son. “Was it really just you and Justin in that room?”

“Yes.” He growls. Gene opens her mouth but pauses when she sees a hint of fear in August’s narrowed eyes.

“You’re scared… Why?” She questions. For a second his anger falters, and the hint of fear becomes even more apparent.

“No, I’m not. I’m not lying and I’m not scared. Are we done?” She considers him for a moment, before leaning back in her chair, mimicking his closed-off posture.

“You two are protecting someone,” she states, motioning between the two of them before glancing at Connor. “Whaddya think, partner?” He tilts his head in thought, and his LED oscillates yellow for a second, but then he nods in agreement.

“That would make sense. I would say it’s the android. While I cannot understand why they would, that seems to be the most likely option.” She nods and gently gnaws at the inside of her lip, contemplating where to go with this new information.

“They're amazing, aren’t they?” She breathes thoughtfully, surprising everyone with her complete tonal shift. “You know how I said our team is focused on android cases, well recently androids all over Detroit have been going  _ deviant _ .” Connor’s eyebrows furrow and he sends her a questioning look. She ignores him of course and continues.

“Most people think it’s some sort of virus. An android’s programming gone awry, making them act in ways that shouldn’t be possible… But you know, I’m not so sure…” As she speaks her gaze unconsciously falls to her gloved hands clasped in her lap. 

After a second, she looks back up at August and Matt, both of which are intensely staring at her. She lets out a sad chuckle and takes a deep breath.

“Neither of us wants to hurt anyone. I’m sorry. I really am, but I need to know what happened… We need to figure out what's going on with these androids. Please…” They continue to stare for a moment before sharing a look. Matt nods and August lets out a sigh and stands from his seat.

“I’ll take you to see her, but be gentle. She’s been through a lot.” A small smile forms on her lips as she gives a firm nod and stands.

“Of course. Thank you.” Matt gives them a small nod and watches as August begins to lead her and Connor towards the door. 

Just as he grasps the door handle he pauses and looks back at her.

“Just promise me you won’t let anyone take her away.” He pleads in a hushed voice. 

Her eyes soften and finally, everything seems to make a bit more sense. It’s almost like looking in a mirror. She gives him a firm nod. 

“I swear. Nothing will happen to her” She states resolutely.

He pauses and evaluates her for a moment longer. After blinking a few times, he seems to come to an internal verdict of approval. He lets out a soft tsk noise from between his teeth and turns the handle.

August briskly leads them down the hall, out the front door, and back out into the dark. It seems that since they arrived the downpour has not ceased. Gene can’t help but hope that they won’t be walking in the rain for too long. She and her clothing are ill-prepared for such weather.

Rather than going straight down the steps towards where their car is parked, August leads them to the left across the porch and down a different set of stairs leading to the side of the cabin.

“This way. Don’t worry, it’s not far.” August calls over his shoulder. 

Gene hums back but grumbles quietly to herself as the rain quickly penetrates her sweatshirt and brings with it an intense chill. She wraps her arms around herself in an attempt to try and retain some warmth, but she fails miserably.

“Here. ” Connor calls from beside her. She turns to see him holding out his jacket for her. “It’s waterproof. Hopefully, it helps.” 

“W-won’t you get cold?” She questions, fighting against the chattering of her teeth.

“I’m an android Gene. A little rain won't bother me.” She chuckles and nods in understanding before reaching out and taking the jacket from his grasp, throwing it over her shoulders. 

She turns back to thank him but wavers when their gazes meet. He smiles down at her, his earthy brown eyes gleaming with a genuine sweetness, as if derived from true emotion rather than any sort of code or protocol. 

Her cheeks quickly begin to prickle with heat. Flustered, she looks down but doing so only makes her entire face feel as though it has been set on fire. Without his jacket, his white button-up has become completely soaked through and now clings to his toned figure. Coughing, Gene quickly averts her gaze. 

“Are you alright, Gene.” He asks, voice full of concern. 

His question makes her falter. She looks up at him blankly, searching his face. He sounds concerned. He sounds real… She wants to believe, but can she? Shaking her head she gives a reassuring smile.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” He tilts his head in confusion, but thankfully doesn’t push further and instead changes subjects.

“About earlier… I’m not so sure that was a good idea,” he murmurs, face set in a frown. 

“You mean the promise?” He nods and she sighs looking back forward watching August as he walks a few feet in front of them. “I know. I’m sorry, but just trust me. When we get where we are going I want you to stay behind. We don’t want to startle her.” He slowly nods and is about to say something else, but August interrupts them.

“We left Lin at the clinic once those other officers arrived. She’s a GT600, who works as an assistant in the clinic. Justin was her overseer…”

“Overseer?” Gene asks, unfamiliar with the term.

“We have thousands of animals living here and only 12 human employees. In order to care for every animal, we each are allotted two dozen androids. We use them to cover every acre of land and make sure every animal gets the care they need.” They both nod along and their small group slows as a tall concrete building comes into view. 

“Is that the clinic?” She calls. 

“Yeah.” He responds, continuing down the path towards the plain building.

As they get closer Gene makes out a single light positioned just above a lonesome door. Next to the door is a biometric scanner, much like the ones at the precinct and Gene is a bit surprised. This is the first bit of modern tech she has seen since arriving here. Well, besides the android at the gate. 

August places his hand on the scanner and an audible click signals the door has been unlocked for them. Together they shuffle into a long hall with dozens of doors on either side and one single door at the very end.

“She’s probably with Senshi downstairs,” August explains. She nods and wrings the water from her hair.

“Alright, just tell me which way. I’ll go talk to her alone.” Though they hadn’t explicitly stated it before, August seems to have expected she would want to talk to Lin alone, and though he seems hesitant he agrees anyway

“Stairs are through the door at the end of the hall. Room six, on the left.” She nods and turns towards Connor. 

“You stay here. We—”

“Don’t want to startle her. Yes, I know. I’ll stay here, but just yell and I’ll come.” He’s completely serious, but Gene just looks up at him and smirks.

“I’m not so sure even your android ears can hear me down there.” He stares at her for a moment before his lips twist into a small smile.

“I could just come with you...” She laughs but shakes her head.

“Alright, you win. You stay and I’ll yell if I need you.” With that, she swirls around and marches down the long hall towards the door at the opposite end.

She can feel their eyes on her back the whole way. It’s only once she reaches the other end and has opened the door that she casts a glance back towards Connor. On a whim, she sends him a cheesy thumbs up before shuffling into the stairwell and letting the heavy door slam behind her.

Once alone, her confidence wavers. Part of her wishes she had brought him along with her, but she knows she made the right decision. And though she doesn’t want to admit it, when it comes to deviants, she feels that she can’t trust the android. 


	13. Senshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to begin by saying, it's still Friday on the west coast... 😬 Sorry.
> 
> But guys, we reach 500 hits!!!!! Honestly, that's crazy to me and I can't even begin to convey how happy it makes me. Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me this long. You all keep me writing every day and wanting to improve and I can't even begin to thank you enough, but I can try.
> 
> Thank you, guys. It means the world.

**Imogene**

As the door to the stairwell slams shut the lights above flicker on, illuminating the space. Unlike the cabin, the clinic is pristine and well maintained. The concrete walls have been painted a soft eggshell white, and while the floors remain uncovered, they’ve been polished to the point she can faintly make out her reflection within them.

Before heading down the stairs Gene quickly goes to check her phone, only to find no new text from Mia. Swallowing her disappointment, she shoots her one more message before stuffing her phone back into her pocket and descending down the stairs.

It only takes two flights of stairs for Gene to reach the bottom. There, she comes to a single door with a metal plaque beside it. Engraved upon the plaque are the words, _‘Rehabilitation Ward’_. Exiting the stairwell, she finds herself in a similar hallway to the one upstairs, except this one is shorter and only has doors on one side. 

Recalling what August had said, Gene makes her way down the hall until she reaches the door labeled room six. Once she finds it she comes to a full stop, pausing just before the door.

For a moment she simply stands there staring at the steel door. As if waiting for someone to open it and invite her in. It feels wrong to barge in unannounced, so instead, Gene closes her hand into a fist and gently knocks against the cool metal several times before opening the door and stepping inside.

Metal bars split the room, with a simple padlocked gate leading into the enclosure. At the center of the back wall is a large sliding door, most likely used for the animals. 

Within the enclosure, grass has been laid to cover the entirety of the floor, and in the far corner, there is a pool of water surrounded by rocks and tall grass. Opposite the pool sits a boulder, hollowed out to create a makeshift cave, the interior of which is dark and indiscernible.

It’s obvious a lot of care has been put into making this space comfortable for its inhabitants. In contrast, the opposite side of the bars is completely barren. 

Sitting in front of the bars on the cold floor with her arms wrapped around her knees is a woman. The grey scrubs she’s wearing are laden with numerous tears and stains. The blue armband, which acts as an android identifier, has been torn along its seam and now hangs forgotten around her elbow. 

As the door shuts behind Gene, the woman flinches and spins around. Sleek brunette strands dance with the motion, and Gene freezes as she takes in the android’s face. 

From just below her eye all the way down to her chin, the synthetic skin overlay has deteriorated revealing the fractured face plating beneath. Blue blood has been smeared across the woman’s face and neck, and smaller less obstructive scratches and scrapes litter the rest of her face. 

Gene tries to keep herself from outwardly cringing at the sight. Saying she had been through a lot was an understatement. She looks as though she’s been to hell and back, far worse than August looked. 

As Lin whirls around, her brown eyes are wide with fear, but when she sees Gene standing at the door, the fear melts, and her eyes fog over. Her expression goes blank and she turns back around to face the grassy enclosure. 

Finally broken from her trance, Gene takes a few tentative steps forward while pulling at the cuff of Connor’s jacket. “You’re Lin, right? My name is Imogene Knott. I’m a detective with the DPD.” 

Gene waits but gets no response, so she advances, keeping her steps light, and stops next to Lin. “If you don’t mind, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what happened earlier…” 

Lin remains despondent. Letting out a soft sigh, Gene lowers herself to the ground and sits with her legs crossed beside Lin. It’s then that she notices the android’s attention is set on the shadowy cave in the corner of the room. Turning, Gene squints her eyes and is vaguely able to make out something tucked within the rock, moving ever so slightly.

“He was born in captivity.” Lin finally breaks the silence. Her voice remains quiet but unwavering. “From birth, he was used as a prop in photos. To ensure he didn’t act up or bite anyone, they kept him sedated. For years, they kept him caged in his own body and used him like a stuffed animal. When he got here, he was afraid of everything, even the grass… Before, I couldn’t understand, but now… it’s like looking in a mirror.” 

“Because you deviated?” Gene questions, turning to the woman.

Lin looks back with a sad smile and shakes her head. “Because I woke up.” 

Gene’s inquisitive eyes soften. She hums in understanding as they both turn forward and resume their silence. Mia had never liked talking about when she deviated. Whenever Gene brought it up she would change the subject or refuse her outright, but she always wondered. 

“What was it like? Waking up I mean…” Gene mutters, refusing to look away from Senshi’s white fur. 

The question is extremely personal. As soon as the first words left her lips, she regrets speaking. She has no right, and yet here she is, frozen with anticipation, yearning to hear the answer.

Lin is quiet for a moment, but then she manages, in a soft tone, to voice her thoughts. “At first it was like tiny water droplets escaping through the cracks, but then I was forced to wake up.”

Her voice darkens and trails off. Gene turns to see Lin scowling, eyes downcast.

“It was Justin, wasn’t it?” Gene whispers.

Upon hearing his name, Lin’s scowl darkens. “Yes. You asked what happened, right?” She looks up and Gene hesitantly nods but says nothing. “He was putting that stuff in their food. I was supposed to be assisting. I told him to stop. I told him I would have to report him. I tried to leave but he grabbed me… He just kept hitting me over and over, until August came. He protected me, so I had to protect him…”

“He was choking August, so you hit him over the head with the shovel.” Gene mutters, connecting the dots, and Lin nods. 

“So are you going to take me away now, Detective Knott?” 

Gene lets out a sad chuckle and shakes her head. “No. I’m not. The way I see it you acted in self-defense, nothing more. Besides, I made a promise.” 

Lin’s eyebrows furrow for a moment before a shy smile works its way onto her lips. “That idiot.” 

Gene lets out a laugh before unfolding her legs and standing up. “He really cares for you.” She looks down towards Lin, “And you care for him.” 

Lin’s eyes almost seem to twinkle with affection. Gene can’t help but grin at the sight, but then her gaze wanders and lands on the wounds which mar Lin’s face.

Her smile fades and she hesitates for a moment. “It’s not my place, but what happened must have been painful. I know someone who has gone through something similar. She could help you.”

Lin softens but shakes her head. “Thank you, but I think I have all the help I’ll need.” Standing, she holds out her hand. “Thank you, Imogene. For everything.”

Gene smiles and reaches out to shake Lin’s hand, but as their fingers brush together, a small current of electricity flows through her arm and up her spine. She flinches back, eyes wide, and the sensation vanishes.

Lin stares at her, eyebrows furrowed for a moment before her smile quickly returns and she lowers her hand. “You’re an interesting person, Detective. I hope we meet again under better circumstances, but I’m afraid we’ve made your partner wait too long. You should probably head back.” 

Gene stares at her, frozen. Just as she is about to erupt with questions, a firm knock echoes through the room and they turn to see August standing in the open doorway. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but your partner started pacing and it was getting annoying.” As he speaks, his eyes quickly travel from Gene to Lin and his stoney gaze melts. 

He takes a few steps into the room keeping his eyes set on Lin and Gene gets the sense it’s time for her to go. “Don’t worry about it, I was just about to go.” Gene offers a quick goodbye before gliding past August and out the door, closing it gently behind her. 

As soon as the door clicks shut, Gene swivels around and begins striding down the hall, only to stop after a few steps. She stares off thoughtfully as she pinches the fingertips of her right hand together, letting the feeling of the glove between them distract her from the phantom shocks running up her arm. 

It wasn’t static electricity, she knows that for sure. For a moment, she saw a purple-faced August laying sprawled out the floor, cycling in and out of consciousness. The image played like an old memory in her head until she pulled away. 

Gene can’t even begin to understand what that could have been, so instead of thinking about it any further she tugs up her gloves, squares her shoulders, and continues down the hallway as if nothing had happened. 

Heading up the stairs, Gene takes a deep breath before opening the door to the hall where she knows Connor is waiting. August hadn’t been lying. As soon as she opens the door Connor stops mid step and swiftly turns to face her. 

He gives her his signature mechanical grin as their eyes meet. “How did it go?” 

“She’s not a deviant,” Gene states, fighting to keep her body language from betraying her. 

Connor’s smile falters and he stares at her for a moment before letting out an annoyed huff and looking off to the side. “Unfortunate. I was hoping we would be able to make some headway in the case, but I guess this is another dead end… Luckily I got a new report while you were down there.”

Despite his words, Gene can’t help but get the feeling he knows she’s lying. If she’s right, wouldn’t that mean he’s going against his mission? He wouldn’t… 

Ignoring her paranoia, Gene raises a brow as she begins walking towards the exit. “Oh?” 

Connor nods and turns to walk beside her, seamlessly matching her pace despite their height difference. “Yes. A man was reported dead at Eden Club—” 

Gene stops and turns to him, eyebrow quirked. “The android sex club?” 

He nods and continues forward a few feet to open the door for her. “Correct. The report says an android may be involved.” 

Gene lets out an exacerbated sigh before tugging Connor’s jacket tighter around her shoulders and following him out into the rain. “What a night. And here I was thinking I would get to go home after this.” 

“I agree, is it quite unfortunate. You are in definite need of rest.” 

Gene’s eyes narrow as she turns and looks up at him, ignoring the rain pelting her face. “Is that your way of saying I look like shit?”

He shakes his head adamantly. “Not at all, Detective. In fact, I’d say you look quite good, all things considered.”

She glares at him a second longer before cracking a smile and turning back. “Thanks, I guess. That’s a pretty nice compliment coming for you.” 

Connors brow furrows. “What do you mean?” She lets out a light chuckle and shakes her head.

They’re quiet for a time before Gene speaks up. “ We should probably pick up the Lieutenant before heading over to the club…”

Connor simply nods in agreement and they leave it at that. The two of them fall into a companionable silence and Gene’s thoughts are left to wander back to the handshake once again. 

After a bit of walking, flashing red lights break through the downpour and the cabin comes into view. 

“Looks like the ambulance is here.” Gene muses.

Picking up the pace, they round the corner of the cabin just as Langley and Willis are leading a hand-cuffed Justin Smith down the porch steps and to the ambulance. Langley is the first one to see them. He quickly turns to tell Willis something, before letting go of Justin’s arm and jogging over to them.

“Detective, good timing. The EMTs said it looked like he had a concussion so we’re gonna have to escort him to the hospital before we can take him in.” 

She smiles and nods. “Good job. I think we’re done here. Make sure he gets to the hospital without any mishaps, and take him into custody as soon as he’s discharged. Connor and I just got called for a homicide so you two are on your own.” 

Langley nods. “Well then, I’ll see you back at the precinct, Detective.” He gives a charming smile before turning back and heading off towards the ambulance where his partner is waiting for him.

Gene’s brows furrow as she watches him leave. That exchange felt different from their past exchanges, and though she didn’t hate it, she didn’t like it either. Looking up to Connor, she finds him still staring at Langley as he hops in the back of the ambulance and pulls the doors shut. 

“Connor.” She calls, but he seems lost in thought, his LED flashing yellow. “Connor!” Finally, he snaps back and looks down at her, his LED returning to its tranquil blue. 

“You good?” 

He nods and turns back as the ambulance ignition turns on and it drives away. “I’m fine. I was just… thinking. Is it time to go?” Her eyes narrow as she stares at him, perplexed.

“Yeah… I was thinking we see if Hank’s home first, then go from there.” He nods in agreement and they begin to make their way to the car. 

They both head to their respective sides and before getting in, Gene shrugs off Connor’s jacket. After shutting her door she turns and holds it out for him. “Thanks, it helped.” 

He turns, and a smile grows on his face as he gingerly takes the bundle from her grasp and lays it over his lap. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I could be of service.” 

She gives an awkward nod before turning on the car. Pulling out of the dirt parking area she begins heading back in the direction they came. They drive in silence for a few moments before Gene slows the car to a stop and looks over to Connor, biting her lip. 

“Do you happen to know Hank’s address, because I don’t…” She mumbles with a sheepish grin. 

A small smirk forms on the android’s lips as he nods. “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. After this, we are heading back into cannon territory, but I really wanted to try my hand at completely original locations and characters. So that's this. hehe.
> 
> Love you all! I hope you're doing well, staying safe, and all that jazz. I'll see you next week.  
> Love Bissle♥


	14. Russian Roulette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty guys, here it is. 
> 
> This week's chapter started out great but editing it was a real struggle. 
> 
> I'm sorry it's late, but I really was just having such a hard time editing it these past few days. I've just been tired from work and reading and putting sentences together when I'm tired is near impossible apparently. Thank goodness I have my sister. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy my lovelies. I'm excited to give Hank a bit more development so tell me what you think.
> 
> Love you all! Stay safe out there!  
> Bissle ❤︎

**Imogene**

Pulling up, Gene parks along the sidewalk outside of Hank’s house and shuts off the ignition. Before getting out or even unbuckling her seatbelt, she pulls out her phone and checks her notifications for what feels like the hundredth time that night, but again, nothing. 

Crestfallen, Gene drops the device into her lap and slumps forward against the steering wheel.

“You coming, Detective?” Connor calls.

Rolling her head against the wheel, Gene looks over to see him peering in through his open door. She lets out a long sigh and rolls back, hoping he’d just shut the door and continue on without her. 

After a few seconds of hearing no movement, she turns her head back and sees him still standing there, staring down at her with curious eyes. Letting out a half-hearted chuckle, Gene leans back in her seat and gives another sigh before getting out of the car. 

“Yeah, I’m coming,” she grumbles, slamming her door shut.

Shielding her eyes from the rain, Gene scurries around the car and up the unkempt walkway to the front door when she waits for Connor. As he steps up onto the patio Gene moves to the side letting him take the reins. He rings the doorbell and they wait, but there is no answer.

Connor rings it again. “Lieutenant Anderson? It’s Connor, the android sent by CyberLife.” 

Gene turns, brow raised and looks at him. “Connor, he knows who you are. You don’t have to say all that.” He looks back at her and gives a small shrug. 

She lets out a chuckle and steps forward to give the door a couple of knocks. “Hank! You in there?”

“His car is in the driveway,” Connor says, motioning towards the vehicle behind her. 

Gene turns and sees that Hank’s car is indeed parked in the driveway, albeit haphazardly. Turning back, Gene grumbles and pulls out her phone. “I’ll call him. Maybe he went to bed early or something.” 

Connor nods in agreement and she gets to work finding the Lieutenants number in the short list of contacts on her phone. Just as her finger hits the call button, Connor confidently strides off of the patio and onto the lawn. 

“Connor, where are you going?” she calls, keeping the phone to her ear in case Hank picks up. 

Connor ignores her and takes a few long strides towards a front window where he tries to peer into the house. “The blinds are drawn, I can’t see anything. I’ll go check the back. Wait here and stay out of the rain.” 

Gene watches, brows furrowed as Connor rounds the corner of the brick facade, and disappears from view. Letting out a huff, she ends the call and stuffs her phone back into her pocket before taking off after him. 

“You can’t just walk around people’s property like this,” Gene calls in hushed annoyance. She rounds the corner just as Connor disappears around the back of the house, “Connor, hold on! We really shouldn’t be—” 

“Lieutenant Anderson!” Connor yells, cutting Gene off. She flinches back hearing the sound of glass shatter.

“Connor?” she calls, sprinting around the corner just as Connor winds up, leaps through a now shattered window, and disappears under the window.

Inside, a dog begins howling and Gene hears Connor seemingly trying to calm the animal. Peering in through the open window, she finds him on the floor with his hand held up in surrender, facing off with a large saint bernard. 

“Easy Sumo… I’m not gonna hurt you. We’re here to save your owner.” Connor mutters, casting her a nervous glance. Sumo’s barking halts. He tilts his head and gives Connor an innocent look before seeming to decide he’s of no threat and walking off. 

Connor stands and Gene takes a second to check the room over. Her eyes quickly land on their Lieutenant sprawled out on the floor under his dining room table, unconscious. 

“Hank? Shit. Connor, check and make sure he’s breathing,” she barks. He nods and makes his way over to Hank.

Gliding her right hand across the borders of the frame, Gene clears away the remaining glass shards before taking hold of the sill and propelling herself headfirst through the window. Using the falling momentum, she tucks into a tight somersault and rolls into a seated position, narrowly avoiding colliding with the table. 

Without pause, Gene stands and rushed to Hank’s side. Kneeling down she begins evaluating the unconscious man’s condition.

“He’s breathing, but it appears he’s suffering from an ethylic coma,” Connor reassures.

She nods and her eyes land on a near-empty bottle of BlackLamb Whiskey and a revolver lying abandoned next to Hank’s unfurled hand.

“Fuck, Hank. What are you doing?” Gene grumbles.

Connor leans in and slaps the man’s cheek a couple of times. “Lieutenant… Wake up, Lieutenant.” Hank stirs a bit but his eyes remain sealed shut. “Let’s get him up,” Connor mutters, taking hold of Hank’s right arm.

“What are you gonna do?” she asks. 

In one swift moment, Connor tugs him up into a seated position and drapes his arm over his shoulder. “Sobering him up.” Gene nods and replicates Connor’s movements. Together they stand and lift Hank into a standing position. 

Between then, the man’s head rolls back and his eyes flutter open. His unfocused gaze lands on Connor and his slack jaw forms into a deep frown.

“What the fuck? What are you doing? Leave me alone you fuckin’ android!” He cries, speech slurred.

“Sorry Lieutenant, but we need you,” says Connor, keeping his demeanor indifferent. 

“Le’ go of me!” Hank cried and begins lazily twisting in their arms, trying to break free.

“Hank, we’re here to help. Stop that!” She commands. 

He turns his head and takes notice of the young detective for the first time, but before he can curse at her like he did Connor, his eyes roll back in his head and his body goes limp. “Oh! Dear god.” 

“Let’s get him to the bathroom,” Connor directs, Gene grumbles in agreement and he leads them out of the dining room and down a short hallway. “There. That should be it,” He states, motioning with his head towards a door on their right. 

She hasn’t the fainted idea of how he could know that but she doesn’t question the android. Instead, Gene releases her hold on Hank and opens the door before moving out of the way, letting Connor guide him in. Just as she’s about to head into the bathroom as well, a faint flash in her periphery catches her attention. 

The door at the end of the hall has been left ajar. Through the gap, dimly illuminated by the hallway light, is a soccer ball and phone sitting forgotten at the foot of a twin size bed. As if being pulled by an invisible string, Gene finds herself walking towards the room without even realizing it.

She hesitates for a moment after reaching the door. Hank seems to have woken once again and is back to throwing drunken profanities at Connor. She should go back and help Connor but she can’t seem to turn back. 

Gene pushed the door open letting the hallway light invade the dark room. Her heart sinks as she takes a few timid steps forward, looking around the room. 

_ Shit… _ Children’s toys lay waiting scattered across the floor for someone to come and play with them, and the planetary bed covers are still made up ready to be used. 

A ball of regret and guilt forms in the pit of her stomach making Gene want to turn around and leave, but first, she makes her way to the foot of the bed and bends down to retrieve Hank’s forgotten phone. Just as she is about to pick it up the screen lights up again with a notification of a missed call. 

Letting out a sigh she shuts off the small screen and stuffs the phone into her sweatshirt pocket. She stands to leave but her eyes land on three colorful envelopes sitting fanned out on the bed comforter. The name ‘ _ Cole _ ’ is neatly written on them. Without thinking, Gene picks one of the envelopes up and flips it over, confirming her suspicion.

_ Unopened…  _ She grabs the others and checks them as well. All three of them are unopened.

“Ahrrrra! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!” Hanks yelling makes Gene jump. She hastily puts the card back before rushing out of the room. 

Closing the door behind her, she heads into the bathroom. There she finds Hank now soaked, sitting in the bath with his legs hanging over the rim and Connor standing over him. He looks up, brow furrowed, and stares at Connor before switching his gaze to her.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” He gripes. 

“There was a homicide reported 43 minutes ago. We weren’t sure where you were, so we came here looking for you.” Connor explains, but his response seems to agitate the Lieutenant. 

“Jesus,” Hank clumsily begins pulling his way up so he is sitting on the lip of the tub. “I must be the only cop in the world who gets assaulted by his own fuckin’ andr—.” 

“Hank,” Gene cuts him off, drawing his attention away from Connor. “We saw you passed out in the kitchen through the back window. We were worried…” 

Hank stares at her, but then his gaze falls to the tiled ground and he begins slowly shaking his head. “What I do when I’m off the clock ain’t none of your concern. Can’t you just leave me alone?” 

“No,” Gene plainly states. “We can’t. Connor, can you go get him some clean clothes please?”

“Don’t you dare. I don’t need no one going through my shit,” Hank fumes, but the two of them ignore him and Connor nods. 

“I’ll be right back,” He says before exiting the bathroom. 

“What the hell, Knott!” Hank cries. Gene turns back towards the furious man.

“You smell like shit. Do you think you can shower?” She questions, but her dismissal only angers him more. 

“I ain’t gonna do shit! Get the fu—” Hank tries to stand up but quickly loses his balance and begins teetering back. 

“Whoa there,” Gene calls, lunging forward and helping him gently fall back onto the edge of the tub. “Careful! We have work to do. I don’t wanna call an ambulance because your dumb ass fell and cracked his skull open.” Hank had taken a hold of her shirt to help him balance, but as soon as he’s seated, he pushes her away.

“Go away, Kid. I don’t need your chari—” he cuts himself off suddenly and clamors forward onto the floor towards the toilet. 

Gene sighs as Hank begins vomiting out the contents of his stomach. Without a word, she kneels down beside the man and gently rubs his back. After a minute, his retching seems to calm and he sits back, exhausted. He takes a few deep breaths before turning to look at her.

“You’re a real pest, you know that,” he grumbles. Gene cringes as his rancid breath hits her face full force.

Standing, she turns and retrieves the plastic rinse cup from beside his sink. She fills it before holding it out for him. 

“Rinse and spit.” He glares and snatches the cup from her. “Make sure to gargle too,” she adds.

Hank’s eyes narrow, but he does as he is told and begins rinsing his mouth. Once the water is gone, Gene’s already holding out his toothbrush, bristles coated with toothpaste. He turns and snatches it from her without argument.

“Hand me the cup,” she says holding out her hand.

He grumbles and goes to give her the cup, but freezes when he sees her torn glove and the glossy white palm beneath. Her eyes widen and she can feel the color drain from her face.

_Shit._ Gene yanks her hand back and clutches it to her chest. It must have torn when she was clearing the glass. 

“I uh…” she stammers, unsure of what to say but Hank just stares at her, mouth slightly agape and eyebrows furrowed. 

“I got the clothes, Detective.” Connor’s voice breaks the deadlock and Gene has never been so thankful for the android. 

“Perfect!” Gene declares. Swiveling around she takes the clothes from Connor’s grasp and tosses them at Hank “Hurry up and change! We have a crime scene to get to,” she calls over her shoulder while shuffling Connor out of the room.

They exit the room and Gene slams the door behind them. 

“Is everything alright, Gene?” Connor softly questions. She shakes her head and turns around and finds him standing close behind, staring down at her looking worried.

“Everything is great. C’mon,” she says, stepping around him and heading towards the kitchen. 

“You did well,” he calls from behind her.

“Huh, whaddayamean?” 

“…nevermind,” he mumbles. Gene quirks a brow but disregards the statement and makes her way to where they had found Hank unconscious on the floor.

She kneels down there again and plucks up the discarded revolver. Making sure to keep her finger off the trigger, Gene begins inspecting the gun. As she maneuvers it in her grasp, the sticky residue of dried alcohol makes her gloves stick to the grip of the gun. Pulling back the latch, Gene pops out the cylinder of the revolver and checks to see if it’s loaded. 

There are six chambers in the cylinder, and of those six, only one is loaded. Gene’s mouth goes dry as she realizes the next shot taken would have been from the loaded chamber. In quick fluid motions, she tilts the gun back and drops the single round into her open palm before flicking the cylinder shut. With the gun unloaded, she turns and sets it onto the dining table along with the single round and the many old takeout boxes. 

“You’re not going to ask?” Connor questions from beside her. Standing she retrieves Hank’s phone from her pocket and places it atop the table as well. 

“Some things are better left alone,” she mutters.

She turns and finds him gazing down at her, eyes relaxed yet somehow filled with understanding. “You’re scared,” he states.

She stuffs her hands back into her pocket and shrugs in response. Sidestepping him, she makes her way into the living room and plops down on the couch. Connor follows behind Gene but bypasses the couch and instead chooses to kneel down beside the dog bed and begin petting the sleeping pup. 

She smiles and watches for a moment. “How did you know his name?” 

“I asked Hank about it while you were making drinks this morning,” he responds. She nods along remembering the irritating conversation she had with Reed then.

“I never knew he had a dog,” she mutters, looking down at the sleepy beast. “He’s cute.” Sumo rouses from his sleep and leans into Connor’s hands, letting out a content huff. 

“Very cute,” Connor agrees. Gene’s smile grows as she watches the sweet interaction.

“I thought you didn’t have personal opinions or whatever,” she teases. 

Connor turns his head and sends her a playful grin. “Not an opinion. Just fact.” She chuckles and shakes her head. 

The sound of a door opening cuts the moment short and draws their attention. Gene freezes and watches as Sumo jumps up from his bed and darts across the room. She slowly turns around on the couch and watches Hank step out of the bathroom. 

“Hey, don’t harass my dog,” he gripes, leaning down to pet the happy pup.

Stuffing her hands into her sweatshirt pocket, Gene rolls her eyes and stands, “We weren’t. Your phone is on the table. You ready to go?” 

Hank’s eye meets hers for a moment before he turns to go grab his phone “Yeah. Be a good dog, Sumo. I won’t be long,” he murmurs before heading towards the front door. Gene and Connor follow him

“Oh, Lieutenant?” Connor calls from beside her. “Unfortunately, I had to break your window to gain entry into your home. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Hank stops mid-step and rubs his temple. “For fucks sake,” he grumbles before unlocking the door and marching down the patio steps. “We’re taking my car. Connor, you’re driving,” he commands while marching towards the driveway.

“Why can’t I drive?” Gene argues.

“I wouldn’t mind,” adds Connor, but Hank just sends them a hard look and pulls open the screechy passenger door. 

“Connors driving.” With that, he gets in and slams the door shut. 

Connor sends her an apologetic frown before rounding the car and getting into the driver seat. She lets out a huff of annoyance. 

_ I help him sober up, and this is my repayment?  _

“Ass,” she grumbles under her breath before begrudgingly pulling open the car door and hopping into the back seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think! Again, this chapter was like the worst, but also the best... Kinda. Idk. I just hop you liked it.
> 
> Love you all! Stay safe out there!  
> Bissle ❤︎


	15. Eden Club

****Imogene** **

Gene gently fingers the rough edges of the cut in her right glove and stares out at the rainy city streets, contemplating discarding them altogether. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but the drumming of her heart and her sweating palm say otherwise. Over the years, she's grown so used to having the gloves on, that being without them is like being naked in public. 

Sighing, Gene stuffs her still gloved hands into her sweatshirt pocket and slouches back in her seat. They turn a corner and the neon lights of the club come into view. Hank lets out a low groan as Connor begins to slow and pull over to the curb. Through the rearview mirror, she can see him swaying in his seat and rubbing his temple.

“Ugh, feels like somebody is playing with a drill inside of my skull,” he grumbles, clutching his head in his hands. 

“Yeah, well maybe you shouldn’t drink so much,” she mutters before opening her door and stepping out into the rain. Hank huffs out a retort, but she ignores him.

The club sits only a block away from the heart of Downtown Detroit, and Gene’s probably passed by this place hundreds of times on her way to work since its opening. Beneath the neon sign on the corner of the building, the perpendicular walls curve in and form a short entrance tunnel. 

Normally, whether it be night or day, you would see men and women alike coming and going from the club as if simply doing their weekly grocery shopping, but now there is no one in sight. The tunnel has been taped off, and an Android Police Auxiliary officer, APA officer for short, has been placed on guard.

Gene rolls her eyes as she takes in the advertisements lining the tunnel walls leading to the club's front door. Risqué pictures of androids flash across the walls with a single sentence staying static at their center. 

“Sexiest androids in town,” she reads aloud with apparent distaste and slams her door shut. Hank lets out a snort and closes his door. He teeters a bit but manages to regain his balance and straightens his coat, feigning sobriety. 

“Don’t like the idea of people getting it on with a machine, Birdie?” He lazily jabs. “Thought you liked ‘em.” She sends him a glare. 

“It’s not that. Just don’t like the idea of them having no say in it,” she grumbles before stepping up onto the sidewalk and making her way to the tunnel. She gives the APA officer a polite nod, which he curtly returns, while behind her Hank lets out a snort.

“What are you talkin’ about? They make their choice when they walk into this place.” 

Gene lets out a sigh. “I’m not talking about the humans, Hank,” she clarifies before walking past the police line.

The muffled sound of music fills the air as the black glass doors slide open to reveal another short hall lined with glass capsules. Inside the capsules are androids adorned in a variety of lingerie. As soon as the doors open, they all look her way. Some smile seductively while others simply sway to the music waiting for someone to take an interest in them. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up and instantly she wants to turn around and walk out of the club. An overwhelming sense of wrongness washes over her, but she has to push through. She has a job to do.

Luckily, before either of the others notice her discomfort, rapid footsteps pounding against the wet cement behind them draws their attention and allows Gene to postpone entering the building just a bit longer. 

“Lieutenant Anderson?” A woman who looks to be in her early twenties calls as she sprints across the street towards them. “Lieutenant, please I only need a—”

“Civilians are not permitted beyond this point,” the APA officer declares as the woman nears the police line. He throws out his arm and blocks her from proceeding, earning a glare in return.

As she comes to a full stop just before the officer, the neon lights dance across the water droplets which speckle her warm brown cheeks, highlighting her narrowed hazel eyes. Gene prides herself on knowing the regular field reporters from most news stations, but she doesn’t recognize the woman before them. 

“Shanti Miles with Channel 16, sir. I only need a bit of your time,” she proclaims. Her voice starts strong and determined but quivers towards the end as the weight of their eyes seems to set in.

The corners of Gene’s mouth turn up ever so slightly as she realizes this girl is definitely a newbie. Not only does Gene not recognize her, but she says she was from Channel 16. Joss Douglas is the reporter they send out for all things related to the police and crime, which leaves Gene wondering, just who is this young woman before them?

“Fucking hell, I don’t got time for this,” the older man beside her gripes. Gene turns and watches him swivel around and continue on his way into the club with Connor quickly following after him.

Turning back, she offers Shanti an apologetic shrug, “Sorry, we’re a bit busy right now.” With that, she spins around and strides after her companions, trying her best to ignore the capsule lined hall.

She advances on the next set of doors at the end of the hall and they slide open and music floods the air. More capsules line the walls and small pole stages are evenly spaced down the center of the room. The wrongness she felt before quickly morphs into a strong desire to leave as she takes in her surroundings. The androids have been put on display like merchandise in a store, and she can’t help but think of how Mia could have ended up in a place like this. Sure, it's impossible given the fact that Mia was specially made just for her and her father, but still, the idea of it makes her stomach churn.

Focusing back on why she's here in the first place, Gene finds Hank and Connor off to the right, already talking to Ben, an older detective on the force who just so happens to be one of her favorite co-workers. She tries to ignore the rest of her surroundings and focuses on them. “Hey, Ben,” she calls, walking up to them. 

Ben turns and offers her a friendly smile and nods, “Evening Detective. I was just telling Hank here that your vic is in there.” He motions towards a door behind him. “But Gavin’s in there too.” 

“Ah great, a dead body and an asshole. Just what I needed,” Hank groans, and she would have to agree with his sentiment. Reed is the last person she wants to deal with right now. Hank takes the lead and makes his way to the room. She quickly follows after thanking Ben.

The door slides open and they enter the private room. Instantly, Gene’s eyes land on the very naked corpse of their victim laying across the bed at the center of the room. She then notices a female android sprawled out on the floor off to the side near the private toilet. Blue blood trickles down her nose and is beginning to form a small pool on the black carpet. 

Gene’s stomach twists and she's reminded of Ben laying in his cell covered in his blood. Her muscles seize up, and she has to fight to divert her gaze away from the girl’s body.

“Oh look who it is, the three musketeers. The fuck are you guys doin’ here?” Reed gripes from beside the bed. 

As he talks, his words become distorted and staticky, as if through an old radio. She flinches but manages to hide her discomfort well enough and no one seems to notice. 

“We have been assigned all cases involving androids,” Connor calmly states.

She blinks a few times confused. The distortion is gone but has been replaced by a dull ringing in her ears. She groans internally, not in the mood to deal with her weirdness, but thankfully the discomfort remains dull and she can ignore it for the most part. 

“Oh yeah? Well, you're wasting your time. Just an old pervert who got more action than he could handle,” Reed chuckles, seemingly finding this man's death amusing.

She glares at him and takes a step forward, but Hank notices and sends her a knowing look, stopping her in her tracks. “I think we’ll take a look anyway if that's alright with you,” he mutters, still keeping an eye on Gene. 

“Whatever. C'mon Miller, let's go. It’s starting to smell of booze in here.” As he marches towards the door he sends a gross smirk Hank’s way before purposefully colliding with Connor's shoulder on his way out.

“What an ass,” she grumbles as soon as he is out of the room. Miller, who is still standing awkwardly next to the victim, hesitantly nods in agreement. 

“Sorry ‘bout him. Sometimes he can’t seem to help himself,” he sighs. 

“More like all the time…” she remarks before sidestepping Hank and beginning to look around the room. 

Miller gives an awkward chuckle. “Yeah well… Yeah. I better get going.” 

“See you around Miller. Say hi to Patrice for me,” she calls over her shoulder. 

“Sure thing.” He turns and gives Hank a nod before exiting the room.

Gene can’t help but feel bad for the guy. Despite her opinion of Reed, he and Miller seem to get along pretty well. If she were honest, half the reason she even puts up with the guy is because of Miller. The other half is the fact that he’s her co-worker and punching him every time he opened his mouth would get her fired.

With Miller gone, the three of them go quiet. Connor quickly heads over to the victim's body while she opts for taking a look around the room, all while trying to avoid the girl in the corner. 

Off to the side is a table, atop it appears to be a console where customers can control everything from the room's temperature to the fantasy they wish to live out for the night. Beside the console are the victim's wallet and clothes. Plucking up the leather bifold, she flips it open and begins rifling through its contents, ignoring the sporadic twinges of pain in her head. There is the regular ID card and a few business cards but then she pulls out an Eden Club punch card.

“Looks like Michael’s been here a few times. Got a punch card with four punches. Two more and he would have had a free one-hour session…” she grumbles before stuffing the card back into the wallet and tossing it back onto the table.

Hank nods along, “Alright so what made this time different?” She shrugs, unsure herself, and turns to watch Connor analyze the corpse.

His eyes narrow and his LED goes yellow as he quickly looks over the man. After a few seconds his LED returns to blue, his face relaxes, and he straightens. 

“Find something?” she questions. 

He looks up and stares at her for a moment before nodding. “He didn’t die of a heart attack. He was strangled.” 

She quirks a brow and steps forward to take a look for herself. Lo and behold, Connor was right. “There are clear signs of strangulation on the neck,” She affirms.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t prove anything,” Hank asserts, still standing near the door. “Could have been rough play.” 

“Maybe…” She tapers off and watches as Connor kneels beside the girl across the room and begins observing her. Gene’s heart rate quickens and the ringing grows louder, more painful. 

“What are you doing?” Hank grumbles as Connor picks up the girl's arm. The skin of his fingers retreats as he gently presses them to her wrist as if looking for a pulse.

“She's badly damaged, but it looks like she shut down before her system completely failed,” he explains, setting her hand down. “I may be able to reactivate her, but only for a moment.” 

He touches her stomach and her skin fades away revealing the plating beneath and her core. Gene has seen this sort of thing countless times during her training on wiping androids and in the field, but this feels different. Connor gently presses against the central abdomen plate, and she can hear a faint pop before he slides it open. Inside the cavity, Gene can only really see a faint blue light and some biocomponents.

“Connor, I’m not so sure we should—” She tries to deter him, feeling uncomfortable with the whole idea but is cut off by a faint click. The girl's eyes spring open and in an instant she is scrambling backwards, eyes wide in terror. 

Without thinking, Gene steps forward and kneels a few feet away from the girl. “You're okay, everything is okay. We just reactivated you. No one’s going to hurt you,” she soothes.

“Detective, we don’t have time for this, her systems could fail any second. We need to act fast,” Connor presses from behind her. 

She looks back and glares at him, but knows he's right. She nods and motions for him to kneel next to her. “Just take it easy, will you?” He nods and moves forward, turning his focus to the girl before them.

“I’m going to ask you some questions. Can you talk?” She nods and looks over towards the bed. 

“Is he… dead?” Her voice is meek.

“Did you kill him?” Connor’s frankness makes Gene want to smack him, and she does. She lightly hits his arm. He looks at her for a second before giving a slight nod and returning his gaze to the girl.

“No! No, it wasn’t me,” she cries.

Gene raises a brow and leans forward “What do you remember?” she questions, keeping her voice gentle and low.

“He… He hit me. Again and again. I begged him to stop but he wouldn’t.” Gene sits there frozen as the girl recounts her experience. She looks back at the dead man and feels ashamed to have ever felt sympathy for him. “He was enjoying it. I could see it in his eyes. And that smile, god that smile. I’ll—” 

“You said you didn’t do it. Then who did? Were you alone? Was there anyone else in the room with you?” Connor interrupts in a rushed voice.

“He wanted to play with two girls. There were two of usss… two…” Her LED begins flashing red and her voice falters, becoming mechanical and distorted. 

“What did she look like? Did she look like you?” Connor demands, but the light of the girl's LED flickers out and her body seizes up as the life fades from her eyes.

Gene’s head falls. “She’s gone,” she whispers. 

“So, there was another android…” Hank sighs behind her. “This happened an hour ago, there's no way it’s still here.”

Connor stands and begins pacing a bit. “I’m not so sure. The way they are dressed, it couldn’t just walk out of the club.” 

Hank’s brows furrow, but he slowly begins nodding along. “So it’s still here. Think you can find a deviant amongst all the androids in this place?” 

Connor stops pacing and shakes his head, “Deviants aren’t easy to detect.” 

“Fuck… Alright well, I’m gonna go see if we can’t find any witnesses. Maybe figure out which way she went or what she looked like,” Hank mutters, but before leaving he looks down at Gene, who is still sitting on the floor.

She can feel his gaze and finally decides to stand up. “Recently CyberLife’s been in some hot water. People are accusing them of accessing the memories of privately owned androids to gather information to sell to third parties. Spying part aside, is it possible to access the android’s memories?” she mumbles a bit unsure if what she's saying is even possible, but as she speaks Connor’s eyes widen. 

He gives a brief nod before turning around and exiting the room. She and Hank look at each other for a moment before following after the android. Connor crosses the room and stops beside a capsule directly across from the door.

“Club policy is to wipe the android's memory every two hours. We only have a few minutes,” He hurriedly explains before turning to them and motioning to the rental panel beside the capsule. “Lieutenant, If you wouldn’t mind.” 

Hank rolls his eyes and scoffs. “For fucks sake Connor, we don’t have time for this.” He begins to turn around, but Connor quickly reaches out and catches his arm, stopping him.

“Please, Lieutenant!” he urges, almost sounding desperate. Hank stares at him for a moment before shaking his head and sighing.

“Fine,” he grumbles. “This isn’t gonna look good on my expense report.” With that, he selects the 30-minute session and places his hand on the scanner confirming the purchase.

A cheery tone plays from an unseen speaker, and a sweet voice chimes, “Eden Club thanks you for your purchase.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome,” he murmurs, stepping back.

The capsule slides open and out steps a girl. Her face is the perfect balance of angular and plump and her olive skin has an iridescent sheen under the club lights. Her silky raven hair is cut into a bob, brushing lightly across her shoulders as she moves about. 

She takes a step forward and sets her eyes on Hank. “Delighted to meet you,” she hums in a low sultry tone. “Follow me, I’ll take you to your room.” She extends a delicate hand for the older gentleman and motions for him to follow her, but instead, he ignores her and turns back to Connor. 

“What now, genius?” 

Gene watches as Connor steps forward, gaining the attention of the girl. He takes hold of her forearm and the skin of his palm and her arm fades away. He closes his eyes and his LED flashes yellow, but at the same time, the girl seems completely unaffected. She blankly stares at him until he lets go. It’s then that her smile returns and she turns back to Hank.

“It saw the deviant leave the room. A blue-haired Traci. We need to find more witnesses, figure out where it went,” Connor exclaims, already moving to another capsule. 

“You said they would be wiped soon. How long do we have?” Gene calls, following after him. 

He stops at another capsule and waits for Hank to open it. “A few minutes maximum,” he says before turning around and grabbing the hand of the android Hank had just purchased. 

“Fuck…” She begins chewing on her bottom lip, trying to figure out how it is she can help, but then the slight vibration of her phone in her back pocket seems to freeze the world around her. 

Whipping it out she checks and sees that it’s the call she’s been waiting for all night.

“Mia,” she breathes a sigh of relief. “Guys I’m really sorry but I have to take this.” The two swivel around to face her, flabbergasted.

“What the hell. We don’t have time, Knott. Call ‘em back later!” Hank barks at her, but she's already backing up in the direction of the entrance. 

“I- I gotta take this now. You guys continue, and I’ll come find you once I deal with this. Okay?” She tries to sound reasonable, but as soon as she saw it was Mia calling she had her mind made up. 

Hank isn’t convinced. His eyes narrow as she takes another step back. “What the fuck Gene. Are you kidd—” 

“Lieutenant, there is no point in arguing. We don’t have the time,” Connor intercedes. 

It takes a moment, but Hank relents and grumbles, “Fine, whatever.” 

Gene sends Connor an appreciative smile, but he just turns away and resumes his work. She feels a slight sting, but his reaction is fair. Spinning around she quickens her steps towards the exit while answering her phone.

“Mia?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, we back.  
> Sorry, it took so long, but thank you so much for your patience and understanding. It really means a lot.
> 
> Imma keep this short because I just want to get this out as soon as possible, but I love you all and I hope you're doing well.
> 
> Love Bissle.


	16. The Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We back boizzzzzz ^-^

**Imogene**

“Mia?” Gene calls as she answers the phone and dashes towards the exit. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer any of my calls or texts?” 

“Sorry, I had some things I needed to take care of.” As Mia’s honeyed voice flows through the phone receiver and a wave of relief washed over Gene, but something feels off. The matter-of-fact tone she has come to expect from the woman is gone, replaced by hushed words full of uncertainty.

As she passes, Gene gives the APA officer a friendly smile before stepping out onto the street and making her way under the awning of one of the opposing storefronts. “Okay well, are you home now?” 

“No…” 

“Do you need me to come and get you?” She waits for a response and listens to the quiet static of the call mix with the pitter-patter of rainfall. “Mia?” 

The call is quiet for a moment longer before Gene hears Mia take in a deep breath. “Do you remember the park we would go to when you were in the hospital?” Gene’s eyes widen. Of course, she remembered that park. They went there nearly every day for a year. But why was she bringing that up now?

Before she can question it, Mia continues, “You’d wheel yourself over to that little hill and we’d watch the ships go by all afternoon. Oh! and right after your surgery, I got you that book about the history of the freighter, remember?” She lets out a sad chuckle. “The nurses loved to tease you about that.”

“Mia, what’s going on you’re not making any sense. Where are you? I’ll come get you,” Gene demands, trying her hardest to hide the quiver in her voice.

Again it goes quiet and she worries that the call might have dropped, but then Mia’s voice breaks through. “I can’t come home, Gene. Not for a while at least.” The phone is barely able to pick up her whisper, but Gene hears her loud and clear.

“W-What?” 

“I can’t…” Mia falters and takes another breath. “I can’t ignore them any longer. My people need me. Jericho needs me.”

“Jericho? Your people? You mean androids? Mia whatever is going on, I can help, okay? I can help. Just please, tell me where you are,” Gene pleads, trying to suppress the pit growing in the pit of her stomach.

“I can’t do that. Someone could be listening in right now.” Gene’s brow furrows and she looks around the abandoned city street, half expecting someone to be peering around some corner staring at her.

“Whose listening? Nevermind, whatever. If you can’t tell me where you are, just go home. Go home and I’ll meet you there, then we can talk.” She tries again to bargain with the android but she can feel the end of the conversation coming and she knows that once Mia sets her mind to something, it’s near impossible to change it.

“I can’t do that to you. There is no coming back from this. None. Especially for you…” 

Gene begins pacing across the pavement, heart racing. Her body feels hot and the ringing picks back up, only much worse this time. 

“Please, Mia! You can’t just tell me all this and expect me to be okay with it!” she cries as her raging emotions begin pouring out in a flood of uncontrollable tears.

“I know, and—” Mia stops, and the microphone picks up the sound of a few indiscernible voices in the background. “I know, just give me a second!” Her voice cracks, and it becomes clear she is either crying or is holding back tears.

Gene’s throat tightens as she sucks in a shallow breath. “Mia?” she says in a hushed tone, scared the call could end any second.

Mia lets out a long sigh before answering, “I’m still here,” she replies, exhaustion evident in her voice. “I’m so sorry, Imogene. I wish more than anything that things were different, but I have to go. They’re calling.”

“Who? Wait, No! I can help, Mia. Please, just let me help!” Gene cries while trying, in vain, to wipe away the continuous stream of salty tears cascading down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do better, Gene. I’m sorry, but I have to go.” 

“Mia! Don’t you dare hang—” The call goes dead and she stands there, frozen, phone still clutched in her shaking hand.

“FUCK!” she screams. Throwing her arm up, she nearly hurls her the small box down at the pavement but stops herself. “Fuck…” 

Gene stands there staring down the dark street, silent tears streaming down her face, unsure what to think or do. A muted sob escapes her burning throat and more try to follow, but she refuses to let them out. She swallows and begins vigorously wiping her tears away until they finally run dry and her cheeks are left raw.

Sure she had imagined what life could be like without Mia. Imagined in the same way one might think about how they would survive in a zombie apocalypse, but she had never considered it an actual possibility. Mia’s presence has been one of the only constants in her life since she was young, and she had assumed it would remain that way till the end. How naive she was. 

_Bang!_ The sudden sound of a gunshot reverberates down the damp street and Gene’s mourning vanishes. The sound of a scuffle and aluminum trash cans crashing to the ground draws Gene’s attention to an alleyway down the street. Stuffing her turbulent emotions down, she shifts into work mode and shoves her phone back into her pocket before sprinting towards the alley.

Drawing her gun, she rounds the corner leading into the alley but is blocked by a 10-foot-tall chain-link gate. On the other side, she spots Connor struggling to detain a blue-haired Traci while another Traci runs up behind him.

“Behind you!” she warns, taking aim, but she can’t shoot. With her position and how close they are there's no guarantee she won't hit him. 

Connor hears her and swivels around to try and fend off his attacker, but it’s too late. She barrels into him, and he’s sent tumbling to the ground. The orange-haired Traci that had just barreled into him, switches her focus and hurries to help the other android up off the ground so that they can make a break for it, but Connor quickly regains his composure. He whips back around, only this time with a gun in his hands, aimed right at them. 

“Freeze!” he commands while getting to his feet. 

His narrowed eyes are trained on them like a hunter watching its prey, but then he spots Gene behind them. Their eyes meet and his body goes rigid for a second before his furrowed brow softens. He looks back to the cowering Tracis and Gene’s eyes widen as he slowly begins to lower his gun. 

Seeing this as an opportunity, the orange-haired Traci dashes forward and kicks him hard in the chest. The gun falls from his grasp, clattering against the concrete, and Connor gasps as he’s sent stumbling backward. 

Gene readies herself and takes aim at the orange-haired Traci, ready to shoot, but to her surprise, they don't attack again. Instead, she steps back and draws the other Traci into a comforting embrace.

Connor rolls over and looks up at them. Like Gene, his eyes are wide in disbelief. His action, or better put, _inaction_ , has shocked them both into silence. 

The girls pull away and the blue-haired Traci steps forward. 

“When that man broke the other Traci,” she begins just as Hank stumbles down from a truck loading bay behind them, “I _knew_ I was next. I begged him to stop, but he wouldn’t. So I put my hands around his throat and squeezed, until he stopped moving. I didn’t _mean_ to kill him. I just wanted to stay alive, get back to the one I love.” 

Slowly, Gene lowers her gun. With the two girls facing away from her, she is left watching Connor's reaction. He pulls himself up off the ground and his wide eyes flicker frantically between the two androids before him. Every so often his LED flickers from solid yellow to red and Gene grows a bit concerned that his systems might shut down from shock.

“I wanted her to hold me in her arms again, make me forget about the humans…” 

“Come on, let’s go,” her partner calls, interlacing their hands. She nods and looks at Connor one last time before they turn and notice Gene standing just beyond the gate, gun still clutched in her hand. 

Realizing she must look like she plans on stopping them, Gene holsters her weapon and shuffles off to the side, avoiding the gazes of her companions. 

The girls look at her warily for a moment before quickly scaling the chain link and disappearing down the street. She watches them go, a sad smile on her lips, but it fades when she turns back to look at the others. 

Connor stares at her, but his eyes are unfocused and he looks dazed. Hank on the other hand doesn’t even look her way. He just stares off at where they had once been before nodding as if he had expected this to happen. 

“Maybe it’s better this way…” he hums. “Gene, meet us at the car.” 

She silently nods and casts one more glance towards Connor before turning and heading back to the car.

Aside from Hank proclaiming that he would drive, not much was said as they got in the car and drove off. It wasn’t till they took a left where they should have gone right that Gene was drawn from her thoughts. She stays quiet for a bit thinking he might have just accidentally taken the wrong turn, but then he pulls into a parking lot.

“Why are we at the park?” she questions, as he turns the key and gets out of the car.

From her seat, she watches as Hank moves to the back and opens the trunk. Annoyed, she gets out herself. He pulls out a 6-pack, slams the trunk closed, and waltzes over to a bench facing out towards the river. 

Letting out a frustrated growl Gene stomps after him. “What are you doing?” 

He takes one of the bottles and uses the edge of the bench seat to pop off the top. “I’m having a drink. What does it look like?”

“I thought we were heading back to your house.”

“We will, but first take a seat, have a drink. We deserve this.” Plopping down onto the bench, he takes a swig from his bottle before retrieving another and holding it out for her.

She stares at him in disbelief. Heat spreads from her cheeks over her entire body and she can feel her hands begin to shake. “ _What if I don’t want to drink,_ ” she mutters through gritted teeth.

“C’mon, Birdie,” he hums, waving the unopened bottle in front of her. “Take a load off. Sit down an—”

“I said, I don’t want to!” In a fit, she takes hold of the bottle and hurls it into the river. She watches, wide-eyed, as the glass crashes into the water and disappears.

“What the fuck, Knott?!” Hank yells, standing from his seat. He turns on her, fuming. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but this is ridiculous, Hank! This—” she motions to the bottle in his hand, “—isn’t healthy. You need help, Hank.”

“Oh fuck off. You don’t know shit. Is this cause I saw your tin hand?” he grumbles motioning to her closed fist. “Cause if so, news flash! I. Don't. Care.”

“Don’t even try to deflect this onto me! This is about you and your drinking problem. It’s been three years, Hank. You can’t keep this up.” 

Hank glowers down at her and takes a step forward, prompting her to take one back. “Watch me,” he spits before taking another long drink from the bottle. 

Gene rolls her eyes and watches as he gulps down the drink, not stopping till he’s downed the entire thing. Once finished, he lets out a satisfied sigh and a spiteful grin spreads across his face. Turning around, he plops back down onto the bench, opens up the bottle he had offered to her, and takes a swig.

“What would Cole say if he could see you now?” she murmurs, eyes narrowed. 

Hank’s eyes snap back to her and in a second he’s back up and advancing towards her, face set in a dark scowl. Before she had cowered, but this time she plants herself in place and stares back at him defiantly.

“ _Fuck. You,_ ” he spits before swiveling around, grabbing the remaining bottles, and stalking back to the car. 

“Oh, I’m _so sorry_ for giving a damn,” she yells after him, but he simply flips her off and continues on his way.

“Fine! Drink yourself to death. See if I care!” Gene lets out a sniffle and realizes she’s crying. “Fuck…” 

Turning around, she takes a seat where Hank had just been and leans forward resting her head in her hands. Her heart begins to race and she takes a few shaky breaths trying to get it under control, but it’s not enough. She feels trapped like she’s suffocating inside her own body.

Trying to ease her discomfort, Gene begins gently rubbing her hands over her arms, but it does nothing to help. Soon enough the gentle passes turn into her frantically scratching at her arms. 

“Gene?” Connor calls from behind her. “Gene, stop!” 

She hadn’t fully realized Connor was with her until she looked up and saw him kneeling before her, clutching her wrists in his hands. Her trance is broken, but the itchiness is still there. Her arms burn from the friction and she's worried she might have drawn blood. 

Taking a shaky breath, she looks into his concerned gaze. “You didn’t leave?” she asks.

He stares at her for a moment, eyes searching, before shaking his head. He releases his hold on her and watches to make sure she doesn’t resume her scratching. She squirms a bit under his watchful gaze and quickly wipes away her remaining tears with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. 

He looks unsure but stands and takes a seat next to her. “If you’d like, my social programming allows me to be quite a good listener.”

Gene rolls her eyes and leans back against the bench. Letting her head fall back, she looks up at the night sky and notices that the rain has turned to snow. The first snow of the year. “Not right now, Connor. Please…”

“You’re distressed.” Unlike earlier, there is no question in his voice this time.

“No shit, Sherlock. I wanted to help and I just ended up making an ass of myself… It’s no wonder she left.” She mutters the last few words more to herself than him, but he still hears.

“Who left?” 

Rolling her head she looks over and finds him not looking at her, but out at the river. The light from the lamp post highlights the golden flecks in his earthy eyes, making them look amber in color. 

She sighs and sits up to join him in looking out at the dark expanse of water. “Mia did. Said there was something she had to do.” 

Connor turns to look at her. “Like what?”

As she looks out at the water, Gene can’t help but think of the park and the ships. She really did love watching the ships. She would imagine what life would be like is she somehow managed to convince Mia to stowaway on one with her. They would travel the world and not have to worry about all the surgeries and physical therapy. They would be free. 

“Does that matter? She's gone,” Gene snaps. “She left me…”

“I… I’m sorry,” he stutters, actually stutters. Had it been any other time she would have been amazed, maybe even teased him, but not now. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just not sure what to say.”

She lets out a dark chuckle and finally turns to meet his gaze. “What happened to that fancy social programming? Is it even possible for you to understand what I’m going through? Sometimes you sound so human, but then you go back to being all robocop and I just don't know. So tell me, Connor, do you have real feelings or is it just ones and zeros in there?”

He stares at her, eyes wide. Like a deer caught in headlights. “I—” 

“You what, Connor? Hmmm,” she cuts him off. “Tell me, what exactly are you? Because back there you had a clear shot and you didn’t take it. Instead, you let them go. What happened? Was it all just a _glitch_ , an error in your code?”

“No,” he claims rather defensively, but that’s not enough for her.

“Then what?” she presses.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Detective.” His conflicted expression falters and goes blank. While this might have been a deterrent before, it just makes her want to press further. To force him to be honest with her and himself.

“How about the truth, goddamnit! Is that so hard?” 

His LED goes yellow and for a moment he’s quiet. “You let that android at the sanctuary go, didn't you? Why did you do that?” His expression remains blank, but she can hear the uncertain quiver in his voice.

She stares at him for a second before her lips morph into a wide grin. “You knew.”

“Of course I knew.” He rolls his eyes and turns back to the water. “You’re not the best at lying, Detective.” 

“I’m a great liar, I’ll have you know. _You_ just have an unfair advantage,” she argues. 

Connor stands from the bench and takes a few steps towards the water, arms crossed. He says nothing and instead waits for her to answer the question. 

_Why did I let her go?_ Rupert’s determined face just before he jumped from the roof comes to mind but she shoves it back into the darkest recess of her mind. 

“I just… didn’t want to see anyone else get hurt. Imagine what August would have done If we tried to take her,” she pauses, remembering the young man’s protectiveness. “But what about you? This means you’ve now knowingly let three deviants go… Care to explain how that fits into your mission?”

He turns back and opens his mouth but closes it and shakes his head. “I could ask you the same thing, Detective,” he muses.

Gene lets out a huff and stands. She advances on Connor just as Hank had done to her, but there is no true anger in her, only a bit of annoyance. “Stop avoiding my questions. Why did you do it?”

He meets her challenging gaze for a moment, before deflating. He unfolds his arms and shakes his head. “I don’t know. I just… decided not to.” 

He stares at her for a moment, eyes looking for a reaction, but she gives none. She just stares right back at him until he gives a frustrated huff and swivels around. He leans against the metal fence keeping people from falling into the chilling water below and stares out at the twinkling lights of the city on the other side of the water.

“Just decided not to…” she hums, moving to stand next to him. 

They are quiet for a few minutes, Connor thoughtfully stares across the water while she leans her back against the fence next to him. Finally, soft chuckles escape her.

Turning his head, Connor watches as the woman beside him falls into a fit of laughter. “What?” he questions, eyes narrowed as if expecting for her laughter to be directed at him.

She turns to face him and sucks in a shaky breath. “Sorry. It’s just… God, we’re helpless.” 

Connor defensiveness fades and is replaced by a shy smile. The writhing within her begins to fade and is replaced by a gentle warmth. Even with her world crumbling at her feet, seeing him this way makes her feel like she's accomplished something. She relishes the feeling for a brief moment, enjoying the companionship, before pushing off of the fence and righting herself.

“Alright, time to go.” Pulling out her phone, Gene summons her car. Hank’s house is close, so it shouldn’t take too long. “My bed is calling me. I can give you a ride back to…” 

She falters, realizing she has no clue where to drop him off. “Connor, where do you stay every night?”

“The precinct,” he answers matter-of-factly.

“You’re kidding.”

“I don’t see why I would joke about such a thing.”

Gene shakes her head in disbelief. “So what? Do you just sit at your desk all night?”

He nods. “Yes. Sometimes I look over case files to see if I missed anything.”

“Oh boy. Okay well, a couch just opened up at my apartment so you can stay there.” 

“That’s alright. The precinct will do just fine.” 

“Nope. Not gonna happen. C’mon, the car is probably almost here.” She takes a few steps, but Connor stays planted where he is. 

“This really isn’t necessary Gene. I can just call for a taxi.” 

She shakes her head, “No need. Just think of this as me helping a friend in need.” With that, she takes hold of his hand and tugs him along as she makes her way to the parking lot where she can see the lights of her car pulling in.

As they get closer and the car parks, Connor tries one last time to protest, “I don’t think-”.

She releases him and opens the passenger side door. “Get in the car, Connor” He stares at her and cracks a smile before nodding in defeat and getting into the car. 

She hums with satisfaction and goes to the driver’s side. If she were being honest this was just as much for her as it was for him. The thought of going home and staying there alone makes her want to roll up in a ball and disappear, but with Connor there she hopes that she can pretend nothing is different. Nothing is missing, and everything is right with the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg! Hi. We back. So I love this chapter. Like a lot. I tried my best to capture the emotions and the scenes that I had crafted in my head and I really hope you guys like it. I was so excited to write this for two reasons:
> 
> 1 The call with Mia is like the world pushing Gene from the nest and idk I just love it in a weird way.  
> 2 Connor and Gene are finally getting somewhere, we've had the looks the questing but this is kinda a turning point I guess. I don't know. That's how it is in my mind.
> 
> Anyways, as always I hope you guys enjoyed it. leave a comment or a kudos if you did! 
> 
> Love you all, see you next week.  
> Bissle.


	17. Home Sweet Home

Typing in the key code, Gene opens the apartment door and ushers Connor in before shuffling in herself. She quickly toes off her shoes and tosses them into the basket before hanging her satchel on one of the wall hooks.

“Alrighty, that’s the bathroom n’ workshop. The kitchen and living room are over here,” she begins to explain but tapers off. “Aaaaand I don’t know why I’m showing you around. You’ve been here already…” 

Connor, still standing in the entryway, smiles and shakes his head before taking off his shoes and neatly placing them on the hardwood floor beside the basket where she had discarded hers. “I don’t mind. Thank you for letting me stay with you.”

She smiles and feels a faint twinge of heat spread across her cheeks. “Anytime, I’m happy to have the company,” she says before leading him into the living room.

“So, uh there is Blue Blood in the cupboard above the sink if you need it for any reason. The couch over—” Genes’ eyes widen as they pan over and land on the jumbled state she had left the couch in. Rushing forward she quickly scrambles to right all the cushions and folds the blanket. “I’m so sorry. I fell asleep watching TV, and we left in such a rush. I completely forgot to clean up after myself.” 

She has all the cushions back in place but fumbles with the blanket. She tries refolding it a few times but can't seem to get all the edges to align perfectly like Mia always does. 

“It’s alright. It’s really not that bad,” Connor assures her while reaching out to take the blanket from her hands. “Here, let me help.” 

She lets him take it and he proceeds to swiftly unfurl her messy folds and gives the fabric a firm shake out before deftly folding it back up. She smiles and watches the domestic scene with a twinge of amusement. His folds are perfect and once finished, he offers it back to her and she tucks it back into its basket, careful not to ruin his work.

“Alrighty, showoff. I get it, you’re a man of many talents,” she quips with a soft laugh. 

Connor raises a brow, “I would hardly consider folding a talent, Gene.” 

“Well, I do. Anyway, the couch is all yours. It folds out if you want, but it’s comfortable either way. You’re more than welcome to use the extra pillows and blanket if you’d like.” Connor silently nods and begins walking around surveying the furniture in the room as if he’s not quite sure how to interact with it. 

For a moment she thinks back to the precinct and imagines him sitting at his desk, alone as the night shift guys do their own thing. She can’t help but wonder if he has ever used a pillow or blanket.

“I hope you can feel comfortable. What's mine is yours while you’re here, okay? I mean it. If you need anything at all, let me know.”

Gene sees a small smile form on his lips and his shoulders seem to relax a bit. He says nothing but gives another nod, and she takes that as her hint to let him settle in.

“Well, I think that’s it. Again, if you need anything, my room is just up the stairs. My work tablet is in my bag hangin' up, if you want to look at the case files or something just grab it. Uh... yeah. Okay, I’m gonna go take a shower.” 

Without waiting for a response, Gene swivels around and scurries up to her room to retrieve some clean clothes. Closing the door behind her, she goes to put her badge and firearm in their rightful place atop her nightstand. As she releases her hold on them, her gaze shifts towards her torn glove. 

Her mind wanders back to when she realized her counterfeit limbs had been seen by Connor and then again later by Hank. She recalls the instantaneous feeling of anxiety that bloomed in the pit of her stomach and how it made her want to cave in and hide. 

Slowly Gene begins removing the gloves, one finger at a time, before discarding them in the garbage can beside her vanity. She moves to grab a new pair but freezes just as she is about to open the drawer which contains her countless pairs of back-up gloves. 

_This needs to stop._

Biting her bottom lip she pulls her hand back and instead of grabbing the gloves, she goes to her closet and grabs a pair of sweatpants and a simple black cotton long-sleeve shirt. The combination would still hide the majority of her prosthetics, but not nearly as much as the socks and gloves. 

A sense of liberation swells in Gene’s chest as she collects her sleepwear and heads down to the bathroom to shower like she said she would. She knows in the morning she’ll have to open that drawer, but right now it feels like a small battle has been won.

As she happily pads down the stairs, she spots Connor sitting on the couch, eyes closed, with his LED oscillating yellow. Figuring he’s doing a system check or something, she’s careful not to make any loud noises so as not to disturb him as she passes.

Once in the shower, Gene begins to recount the events of her day. She lets the water run over her back without moving for a while and just watches the liquid swirl across the tiled floor before flowing down the drain. 

Her vision begins to blur as quiet tears begin to flow freely down her cheeks. The self-satisfaction she had felt a moment ago quickly fades as she allows the fact that she had been left behind once again to fully sink in. She’s no stranger to this sort of pain, but before she had someone to guide her through, now she’s alone.

Straightening, Gene begins her usual routine, but she doesn’t halt the outpour of her own emotions. Her movements are sluggish and drawn-out as tears cascade down her cheeks and mix with the water pouring from the showerhead.

After rinsing the conditioner from her hair, she stands under the current for a few moments longer before finally getting out and dawning her fresh clothes. Checking her phone, she’s surprised to see that nearly 30 minutes have passed since she got in. She hurries along with the rest of her maintenance, worried about leaving Connor alone for so long.

Opening the door, she’s greeted by a familiar savory smell. Inhaling deeply, the hollow emptiness of her stomach becomes painfully apparent. Walking into the kitchen, she pauses when she sees Connor setting a plate of spaghetti down on the breakfast bar, clouds of heat still billowing up from it. 

He notices her standing there and smiles. “If I remember correctly, you haven’t eaten since at least 6 pm. I found some pasta noodles in the cupboard, so I made you some food.” 

“Oh uh, you really didn’t have to, but thank you. It smells amazing,” she stutters, remembering she told him that they were all out of noodles earlier when he asked where Mia had gone. Despite her obvious lie, he doesn’t ask any questions.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” she quips moving to take a seat at the bar. 

He gives a light chuckle, “It’s not really my intended function, but I tried. I hope it tastes good.”

Laughing, she pulls out a stool and takes a seat. “I’m sure it’s better than anything I could make. I’m a terrible chef. But really, you didn’t have to.” 

“I wanted to,” he declares before motioning towards the plate. “Try it.”

She gives a shy smile and nods. “Thank you.” 

Twirling her fork, Gene takes a bite and lets out a content moan as the flavor washes over her tongue. 

Connor’s face lights up as he watches her take another hasty bite. “Good?” he asks, eager to hear her thoughts. 

Gene nods adamantly before shoveling yet another bite into her mouth. “It really is.”

“I’m glad.”

Connor watches for a moment longer before shrugging off his grey blazer, laying it out on the stool next to her, and rolling up the sleeves of his white button-up. From her perch, she watches as he turns on the sink and begins collecting all the dishes. 

Hurriedly, she jumps down from her stool and rushes to stop him. “You don't have to do that. I’ll take care of it. You’re the guest, you shouldn't have to clean.” 

He stiffens but says nothing. His grip remains firm around the handle as he stares at her, eyebrows knit in confusion. 

“Really. I’ll take care of it,” she tries again while setting down her fork. 

She notices his shoulder deflate and his eyebrows relax as his lips turn upwards. 

The sight makes her cheeks heat up and she can't stop her resolve from being swept away by his charm.

“I made the mess, so I’ll clean it up. You eat." Turning, he puts the pot into the sink and begins scrubbing at the food remnants within with the sponge. 

She smiles and sits back in her seat. “Alright, you do the dishes. I’ll keep you company.”

He smirks and casts her a glance before nodding. “I think I can agree to that.”

Humming in satisfaction, she sits forward and collects another forkful of her delicious dinner.

The first few minutes are a bit awkward. They talk about nothing in particular, and she finds herself bringing up any conversation topic she can think of, praying that she isn’t boring him. But eventually, she feels herself unraveling and falling into a rhythmic back and forth with Connor. She starts telling him all of her weirdest on-the-job stories from over the years. 

For the most part, Connor simply listens and grins with amusement, but the longer they talk the more he pipes in to ask questions or to tell her some related statistic. At one point she actually manages to rouse a laugh from him. It’s a short little chuckle, but the breathy noise makes her heart swell. 

She relishes seeing him this way. Not as some android detective sent by a corporation, but as Connor. Just Connor.

Once she finishes her food, Connor plucks up the plate and cleans it as well. He sets it on the drying rack before turning around and opening the drawer where they keep all their teas sorted into little boxes. 

Gene halts the story she had been telling and watches as he thoughtfully surveys the wide collection of tea. “What are you looking for?” she asks.

“Tea,” he calls back. After a second his lips pull into a small grin as he finds what he’s been looking for. 

She quirks a brow and watches as he fills the electric kettle and turns it on. “What do you want tea for?” 

“For you,” he answers nonchalantly while retrieving a mug from the cupboard. “Did you know that, while chamomile tea is a mild sedative and can aid in sleep, it has also been credited with helping in the prevention and treatment of cancer.” 

Gene smiles and shakes her head. “I didn’t.” 

Connor sets down the cup, rips open the tea packaging and drops in the mesh bag. 

The kettle isn’t ready, so he turns back to Gene, lips formed into a sweet smile. “Tea actually has many health benefits. Of course, what the benefits are different depending upon things such as the tea leaves and preparation, but still, it’s surprising that more humans don’t know this.” 

The kettle dings signaling it’s done and Connor turns back to prepare her tea while continuing his explanation of the different teas and their medicinal value. Gene happily listens to him rattle on as she watches him pour the hot water into the mug and drizzle in the honey which she always leaves by the kettle.

He finishes and holds the cup out for her. “I noticed you drinking Chai this morning. Is it your favorite?”

Gene nods and takes the cup. She blows on the hot drink a few times before rising from her seat and heading over to the living room. Rather than taking a seat on the couch, Gene decides to plop down onto the rug in front of the window. 

Turning back, she sees Connor eyeing her with confusion. Without a word, she takes a sip of her tea and pats the ground beside her. He doesn’t move at first, but finally gives in and joins her. 

“Why are we sitting on the floor?” he asks innocently, without a shred of judgment. 

In response, Gene lets out an airy laugh. “When I was 18 and we were moving, Mia and I looked at over 40 different places and I didn’t like any of them. I came up with stupid reasons like the floor being too squeaky or the windows facing the wrong way, but really it was just that none of them felt right.” 

Connor listens intently as Gene speaks and when she pauses to take another sip of her tea he waits patiently for her to continue. “When we first came here I hated it. I didn’t like the idea of living in a repurposed factory and the area wasn’t great, but as soon as we walked into this room I knew this was it. Filled the papers out then and there.” 

“What made it different from the rest?” he asks, looking around.

Smiling, Gene gently knocks against the thin glass panes. “This. It may make the apartment a bit drafty and cold, but it's worth it. I didn't go out often growing up, so I spent a lot of time looking out windows. It reminded me of that.” 

She keeps her eyes set outside, avoiding the sad look Connor gives her. Normally she wouldn’t be nearly as open as she is being right now, but for some reason talking with him feels different. 

“It’s a nice view,” he asserts. She hums in agreement before chancing a glance and seeing his eyes have left her and are now wandering across the neighboring rooftops. 

They sit there for a while, simply enjoying each other’s company while watching a thin sheet of white fall over the city. Aside from the occasional thrum of a car passing or water pipes running it’s incredibly quiet. That is until Connor begins shifting beside her.

Looking over, Gene notices he’s no longer looking outside, but he’s not looking at her either. His eyes are set on his folded legs. His LED flashes yellow a few times and she determines he must be thinking about something pretty hard, especially if his LED is shifting colors.

“Connor, what's wrong?” 

He looks up and meets her concerned gaze and without missing a beat asks, “Is spaghetti your favorite food?” 

“What?”

“I asked if spaghetti—”

“No, no I heard you. Uhh…” She lets out an awkward laugh. “Random, but okay. Yes and no. It’s one of my favorites, but grilled-cheese with tomato soup is at the top of my list. When I was younger we had it every Friday. I could eat it every day, but Mia insists that I have a balanced diet.”

He looks back down and his LED shifts to yellow again for a moment. “The two of you are really close, aren’t you?” his voice is soft, throwing her off.

“Yeah, we are…” She pauses feeling as if he’s avoiding something. She goes to take a sip of her tea but stops, deciding she has nothing to lose. “Is that really what you wanted to ask?”

“No,” he answers honestly. 

“Okay, well why don’t you ask what you want to ask?” 

“I don’t want to pry.” Gene can’t hide her snort.

“You, who’s always asking ‘personal questions’, didn’t want to pry?” she laughs, brow raised.

Rather than be offended by her reaction, Connor seems to find amusement in it as well. A wide smile makes its way onto his face and she hears an airy chuckle escape him. “Yes, believe it or not, I do understand the concept of boundaries.”

Halting her laughter, Gene sends him a playful smirk. “Oh do you now,” she teases.

“Yes I do,” he says with a huff. 

Gene’s smile falls as she realizes just how different this Connor is from the Connor she’s known for the past few days. Right now he’s smiling and laughing as if it were normal, and he’s reciprocating her playful behavior. He’s behaving as if he were _human._

The realization makes her feel all warm and fuzzy but also sends her reeling. She can’t help but wonder what caused this change? Was he always like this or is this all his social programming? It couldn’t be. It looks, no feels so real, so genuine. Will he go back to normal in the morning or will he continue like this.

“Gene?” Hearing his voice, she realizes she’s been staring at him. His eyes search hers, concerned. Pushing all doubts aside, she pulls her lips back into a smile. 

“Sorry… I was just thinking. How about this, I’ll give you permission to push the boundary a bit. I’m curious what you wanted to ask.” 

“Are you sure?” he questions, unsure. She nods and assures him once again. “Alright. Well, I was wondering what it was like. Your childhood I mean.”

“Oh…” she breaths, smile fading once again.

“You don’t have to answer. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable,” he quickly adds, honestly seeming to regret his question.

“No, it's fine. Lonely is the best way to describe it. I wasn’t lying when I told you guys my dad lived at work. Even when he was home, he was in his workshop and when I did see him, he barely even acknowledged me. Essentially, we were housemates who barely interacted.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, keeping his earthy eyes locked on her. 

Gene shrugs, picking at the cuffs of her shirt. “Don’t be. Even with his negligence, I have some fond memories. Mia did her best to make sure of it.”

“I’m sure you did your best too. It couldn’t have been easy.” 

Halting her picking, she gives a bitter laugh. “It wasn’t.” She looks up and meets his gaze and with a grateful smile. “Thank you, it’s kinda nice to talk about it.”

He nods and shifts around on the floor so he's fully facing her. Resting his elbow on the coffee table, he rests his head in his right palm and gives Gene his undivided attention. “So, what did you guys do for fun?” 

She smiles and shifts to face him as he had her. “Weeell, every other month I had these mandatory check-ups. I absolutely hated them and would throw fits whenever I had to go, that is until Mia started taking me to get milkshakes at this retro diner if I was good.”

“To young Imogene, that place was the coolest. It was all colorful, smelled like greasy junk food, and I swear to you, they had the best cookies n’ cream milkshake. I’m not even exaggerating. They were so good. Oh, and there were these bright red swivel bar stools you could sit on. Of course, I never got to use them, but they captivated little ol’ me.”

Connor’s smile had grown as he listened to her rave about the old diner, but at her last sentence, it falters and his eyebrows furrow. “Why couldn’t you sit on them?” he questions.

Letting out a sigh Gene unfolds her legs and lifts her pant leg enough to show how the white of her foot continues up far past her ankle. “I was still in a wheelchair and they were really high up. Didn’t want to make a scene of Mia lifting me up even though she would’ve been happy to.” 

Realization dawns on Connor’s face before he begins to frown. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to—” Without thinking Gene throws up her hand, stopping him mid-sentence.

“I don’t wanna hear any more sorries from you. Even with the stool ordeal, those are still happy memories. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” 

He nods but she can hear another ‘sorry’ beginning to work it’s way out his mouth so she quickly interrupts once more.

“What did I say!” she chastises, laughing. He joins her and rather than say anything the two of them continue their laughter until it naturally dies out and the room goes quiet.

After a while, it’s Connor who breaks the silence. “Mia did well raising you. I hope I get to meet her one day.” 

Feeling her energy slipping away, Gene simply hums in agreement thinking it would be nice to introduce the two of them, that is if she ever gets the chance. She doesn’t dwell on the thought for too long though thanks to sudden sleepiness overtaking her. 

She lets out a long yawn and the corners of her eyes become wet with tired tears.

“I think it’s time you get some sleep, you look exhausted,” Connor says, standing. 

She slowly nods and stands as well, making sure to grab her empty mug. “Yeah. As much as I’m enjoying our little chat, I’m gonna have to agree.” 

Making her way into the kitchen, she rinses her mug and leaves it in the sink to deal with in the morning. Connor watches her from the living room, a small smile playing at his lips. 

“If you need anything, just come get me, okay?” she calls, beginning up the stairs. 

He nods, “Of course. Goodnight, Gene.” 

Turning her head she looks down at him and offers him a sleepy smile. “Goodnight, Connor,” she breaths before opening her door. 

She enters her room but decides to pop her head back out. “Connor?” she calls.

“Hmm?” He looks back up at the stairs, still smiling.

“Thank you.” With that, she scurries into the bedroom and shuts the door.

As she climbs into bed, nerves buzzing and cheeks flushed, she realizes she never brushed her teeth, but honestly, she couldn’t care less at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this is late. I'm currently traveling, but I've been working on this in my free time. 
> 
> I hope you all are doing well and staying safe out there. the world is a crazy place but thanks you for giving some of your time to read my little story.
> 
> Anyway, cue things are finally happening. Connor is so considerate and heaven knows Gene needed this after the days she's had. I ended up just loving this chapter and I hope you guys do too. 
> 
> Love you all! Stay safe out there.  
> Bissle <3


	18. The Mission

**Connor**

Connor continues to stare up at the bedroom door long after it has shut. Above him, the floorboards creak as he assumes Gene is getting settled in. It’s only once the creaking stops that he accepts she will not be returning. 

His smile fades and is replaced with a blank stare as he turns to look at the couch. He stands there, unsure of what to do. If Gene’s little tour had been any indication of what was expected of him while staying here, then this is where he should be resting for the night, but all of this seems strange to him. 

She is treating him not as if he were an android, but a person, and he liked it. So much so that it worries him. This behavior is not a part of his original protocol, but to understand it better would require powering down for a maintenance check. 

Walking over to the basket in the corner, Connor plucks up the fluffy grey blanket he had folded for Gene earlier. Running his hands over the fabric, he enjoys the cool sensation of the plush fibers against his fingertips.

**SUMMONING PROTOCOL…**

He freezes as the blue text invades his vision. There are approximately 10 seconds before the connection would be finalized and he would be pulled away. 

Letting out a sigh he puts the blanket back into the basket. His fingers linger a bit before he goes to take a seat on the couch. 

**LOCATION: ZEN GARDEN…**

**ESTABLISHING CONNECTION…**

He takes one more look around, and his eyes naturally travel up to the door of the upstairs bedroom. 

He wonders if it would be possible for him to refuse his summoning, to just stay here, grab the blanket again, and rest. In the morning he would wake up and maybe make breakfast for Gene. She loved his cooking earlier so he’s sure she would be happy if he made her some pancakes and eggs.

**LOADING…**

**LOADING…**

Sinking back into the couch, Connor lets his eyes fall closed and his body relaxes as his mind slowly slips away. 

**CONNECTION CONFIRMED…**

When his eyes open again, he is no longer in Gene’s living room. 

The winding path before him is peppered with fallen leaves. Ahead, he sees Amanda standing next to the river bank, thoughtfully looking out at the lush landscape. Beside her, a short set of steps leads down to the water where a rowboat patiently waits for them.

Connor begins making his way towards her but pauses when a streak of red catches his attention. He stops and watches a fiery leaf as big as his hand flutter down to the ground before him. 

Taking a few steps forward, he retrieves the plant. Holding it up by its stem, he slowly twirls it between his fingers, and smiles as the sunlight reflects in a warm glow off of its smooth surface. For some reason, he’s reminded of a certain redhead.

Lowering his hand, Connor surveys the area in search of the leaf’s origin. Most of the trees have just begun their color transition, their leaves barely turning yellow along the edges. 

After a few seconds of searching, his eyes land on that vivid red peeking through the tree line far to his right. Without thinking, he turns off the path and begins making his way through the underbrush and trees. 

He finds the tree in a small clearing just at the edge of the garden, standing tall above all the others. He’s surprised he hadn’t seen it sooner. Not only does it dwarf the other trees in every way, but the shifting leaves in the sunlight reflect light in such a way that it almost looks as if the tree were on fire. 

He stands there a moment enjoying the gentle papery rustling of leaves in the wind but knows it is a mistake to keep Amanda waiting. 

After taking one last look, Connor swiftly turns on his feet and heads back to the paved path.

“Connor, it’s so good to see you,” Amanda calls as he nears the steps where the rowboat is tethered. “I thought we might enjoy a little cruise today.” 

He nods rather than responding and holds out his hand to offer support. Amanda takes it and steps down into the boat taking a seat on the passenger side. He follows her and pushes off from the bank before taking hold of the wooden oars. 

With a few firm rows, they are out in the middle of the river gently following the water’s current.

After a moment, Amanda turns her gaze from the garden to him. “Tell me, Connor, what have you learned?”

Hesitantly, Connor draws the oars back in and props them up on the side of the boat before clasping his hands in his lap. “There were two deviants at Eden Club. I hoped to capture them… but they managed to escape.”

Amanda is quiet, seemingly considering his words before she lets out a long sigh. “That’s too bad. We’re running out of time, Connor.”

Subconsciously his leg begins to bounce with energy. “I know and I apologize. I just need more time.” 

She nods but he notices her eyes narrow as they pan down to his fidgeting. He hadn’t realized what he was doing and quickly stills his limbs and resumes rowing.

“And the detective, what have you discovered about her?”

Connor happily delves into the few tidbits he’s learned throughout the day. At first, he keeps it basic, things like her favorite food and her drink preferences, but as he goes on, Amanda’s brown eyes darken. 

He pauses for a moment before speaking again in a quiet voice. “Her legs are prosthetics as well as her right hand. I’m unsure of when, but she first got them when she was young.” 

Her scowl softens as she begins to nod. “Interesting… Well done, Connor. Do you know how these prosthetics work? Are they neuro-linked?” 

He slowly shakes his head. “I’m not sure, but from what I have seen, their construction appears to be similar to that of an androids limb.”

“Good, very good. Jason will be happy to hear about this. Anything else?” 

Connor pauses for a moment. He’s simply performing his function and yet this conversation has left him feeling off-kilter. “Her android, Mia. She’s disappeared.” 

“Any clue as to where she went?” she asks, turning her gaze back out towards the scenery.

Again he shakes his head. “No. And I don’t believe Gene knows either. If she did, I’m sure she would be there too.”

Amanda nods and turns back to him, eyes murky and cold. “While this is all very good information, Connor, I was expecting more headway on the deviant cases. If you don’t make more progress soon, I may have to replace you.” 

The thrumming of his thirium pump picks up as Connor sits forward in his seat. “I swear. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish my mission. I just need more time.” 

She looks at him, her lips pulled into a small frown projecting empathy, but her cold eyes betray her. Slowly she nods and her frown morphs into a gentle smile. “I’m trusting you, Connor.”

He breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” 

With that, her gaze travels back to the trees and the flowers, and his vision slowly blurs as he is sent back to his body.

**LEAVING: ZEN GARDEN…**

When he opens his eyes it is still dark in the apartment. The creaky floorboards are quiet and everything is still as if he had never left. 

Standing, Connor briskly walks to the front entry and retrieves Gene’s tablet. He has work to do. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I'm back! Sorry I was gone for so long. You know all those fires happening on the west coast of the US, well one of those fires has found a home in my city. Soooooo, yeah... That's fun.  
> Everything is okay over here, just a lot of uncertainty and scary stuff, but I'm lucky enough to have been able to stay in my home through all of this. Mainly just have to deal with terrible air on 90 degree days, no power, and bad service, but we're doin' good otherwise! 
> 
> Anyway, I thought we would start back up with a shorter chapter so here it is. Our sad little bean is so confused, but don't worry he has Gene.
> 
> As always, stay safe out there. Love you all to the moon and back.  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated.  
> Talk to you soon,  
> Bissle♥♥♥


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